Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly

The worst argument I ever had with my dad when I was growing up was over astronauts. We were at the dinner table and I had remarked that astronauts had to be superior and my dad argued that they had to be 'normal'. Dad thought that normal meant a human body that functioned as it was supposed to, and I thought superior meant they had abilities--physical and cognitive--that most of us don't have.

After reading Endurance by Scott Kelly I stand by my pre-teen opinion. What Kelly achieved and what he endured was amazing. Few of us have the will and the commitment to pursue our dream when things get tough. Most of us settle for good enough, unable to push ourselves past what we consider our 'limits'. Nothing stopped Kelly. Nothing.

Unlike his twin brother Mark, also an astronaut, Scott was an indifferent student until he knew what he wanted. Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff  about the first astronauts was the fire that lit his imagination and gave him a vision of what he wanted. He applied himself to his studies and was thrilled to become a Navy jet pilot, then a test pilot, and finally an astronaut. He never said 'no' to a mission, and found himself on the Endeavor and finally on the International Space Station (ISS) for a year.

In his book Endurance we learn the behind the scenes life of an astronaut, the grueling training and vast amounts of information that must be learned, including Russian. It involves pain and adult diapers, the mundane yet sophisticated duty of cleaning an ISS toilet,  getting along with others in tight quarters, unexpected breakdowns, and long, draining space walks where every move must be considered and planned.

The book is detailed. Don't expect Endurance to be an easy, joyride read, but I myself was fascinated. in alternating chapters, we learn about Scott's life and career and about his year on the ISS.

Scott has a scientific mind and his drive and ambition are evident. Don't expect a warm, fuzzy persona. Scott does talk about his brother Mark and the tragic shooting of his wife, Gabby Gifford, and her recovery but he is not telling Mark's story. Along with Scott's family, they are included in context of Scott's story.

It was fascinating to learn about the astronauts Scott served with on his missions, especially those from other countries, and how the Russian space program differs from NASA. The Russian and American astronauts on the ISS depend on each other for survival and their trust and respect for each other is essential. (If only we on Earth saw our planet as a big spaceship which we share!)

What does it take to be a success, to fulfill your highest potential? Scott had no fear and saw risky situations as challenges to overcome. He believed that he was part of something bigger than himself, adding to our knowledge and understanding so that someday humankind could travel to Mars. He believed that if humanity works together there is no end of what we can achieve. He believed in himself. He believed in the talents of his fellow astronauts.

I was thrilled to be given a copy of Endurance from Bookish First To Read in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

When Dreams Came True by Nancy A. Bekofske

A Guide to Life in Space from Tim Peake

It is amazing to consider that since 1961 when Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space that only 545 people have reached Earth's orbit. Tim Peake is one, having been on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015. His book Ask an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space is as close as most of us will get to knowing what it is like.

When Tom Wolfe wrote The Right Stuff, he was talking about the first American astronauts who had come up from the ranks of pilots. Today's astronauts need very specific skills, including being good at language, since being in the ISS requires knowing Russian.

"NASA astronaut and ISS commander Scott Kelly told me that it is only the first ten years of studying Russian that are difficult."

The most important trait needed to be an astronaut is character and drive. Mike Massimino also wrote about that in his memoir Spaceman.

Peake wrote this book to answer the questions people ask all the time about being space. Chapters include Launch, Training, Life and Work on the ISS, Spacewalking, Earth and Space, Return to Earth, and Looking to the Future. There are great illustrations, diagrams, and color photographs.

I can't imagine living in 'a tin can' for months. And yet this is what today's astronauts do. And sharing that space with other people.

Okay, perhaps I can imagine that but I really can't imagine spacewalking. Leaving the 'safe haven' of the ISS for a black vacuum where temperatures can go from frigid to boiling in minutes, unprotected from various flying space stuff. One wrong move and--well, watch the movie Gravity and skip the happy ending. Peake notes it is actually quite easy to fall off the space station. The danger is palpable.

All this while wearing adult 'nappies'.

But other things can go wrong, too. In 1965 a Soviet astronaut was in space when his suit ballooned and stiffened. His hands and feet slipped from their places, and the only thing he could do was depressurize his suit. He was suffering from decompression sickness when, with much struggling, he entered the airlock.

Peake was part of a team to repair the ISS solar panel, restoring its electric power. Being in space gave him "the sensation of being a microscopic spectator in an immeasurably vast universe. It was, at the same time, the most astonishing and humbling experience of my life."

This is a great book for inquisitive minds, from the young to us older folk who grew up with the Space Race.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Ask an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space
by Tim Peake
Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover $26.00
ISBN: 9780316512787
Publication Date: October 17, 2017

See the book trailor at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-PdEqD82s

from the publisher:

What happens when you sneeze in space? Was it fun to do a space walk? How squashed were you in the capsule on the way back? What were your feelings as you looked down on Earth for the first time? Were you ever scared? Where to next-the Moon, Mars, or beyond? 

Based on his historic mission to the International Space Station, Ask an Astronaut is Tim Peake's guide to life in space, and his answers to the thousands of questions he has been asked since his return to Earth. With explanations ranging from the mundane--how do you wash your clothes or go to the bathroom while in orbit?--to the profound-do humans have a duty to explore the unknown?--all written in Tim's characteristically warm style, Tim shares his thoughts on every aspect of space exploration.  

From training for the mission to launch, to his historic spacewalk, to re-entry, he reveals for readers of all ages the cutting-edge science behind his groundbreaking experiments, and the wonders of daily life on board the International Space Station. 

We invite the public to join us in submitting new questions using the hashtag #askanastronaut, and the most exciting will be answered by Tim in the book, along with illustrations, diagrams, and never-before-seen photos.

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

I admit I was space crazy as a girl, and forty-nine years later I am still thrilled when reading about the time 'when dreams came true' and men first went into space.

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger didn't disappoint. Although Apollo 8 doesn't have the inherent drama of the Apollo 13 mission, which Kluger and Lovett wrote about, the narrative is engrossing and riveting. 

NASA badly needed a success after the deaths of astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee in 1967 while testing Apollo 1. And so did an America entrenched in a spiraling war, enduring multiple assassinations, and experiencing civic unrest. Getting to the moon by 1970, as President Kennedy had challenged, seemed more unlikely than ever. Apollo 1 and the Saturn V rocket had both failed. The Vietnam war was draining our coffers and the space program was losing support.  NASA had to buckle down and recommit to excellence. 

Gemini 7 astronauts Borman and Lovell were slated to spend fourteen days in space as human 'lab rats'. Then came the idea of sending Gemini 6 up after launching Gemini 7, a joint mission that would allow the spacecraft to approach each other to prove that docking could be possible. 

It was just the huge success NASA, and the country needed. 

As I read about Borman and Lovell and Gemini 6 and 7 I  remembered my scrapbook with clippings and pages of articles.

Bill Mauldin on Apollo 8

I even made my own drawing.

My drawing of Gemini 6 and 7

Next up was Apollo 8, the second manned Apollo mission, which was to orbit the moon in December 1968, paving the way for Apollo 11 and a lunar landing. Anders, Borman, and Lovett had sixteen weeks to prepare. It was a crazy risk. 

It was so interesting to read about the astronaut's life in space: motion sickness, meals, personal needs, illness, accidents, boredom--and the wonder of being the first humans to see Earth wholly suspended in the infinite universe. "This must be what God sees," Borman thought when he saw Earth. 

The amazing astronaut's wives stories are also impressive, accepting the risks of their husband's career and keeping home and children 'normal' in spite of legions of news reporters surrounding their homes.

By the time of Apollo 8 my scrapbook days were over. But that mission had changed how my generation saw the world, spurring a new environmental awareness. Ander's photograph Earthrise was the first to impact Earthling's view of their place in the universe, a lesson we have sadly forgotten. This fragile, amazing planet is our home. 

Earthrise NASA

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Read more about the Apollo program at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

Search for more photos from the Apollo programs at

https://www.nasa.gov/

Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

Jeffrey Kluger

Henry Holt & Co

Publication Date: May 16, 2017

$30 hardcover

ISBN:9781627798327

Spaceman of Bohemia: Truths Must Not Be Feared

Jakub Prochazka has never forgotten the Shoe Man who turned his grandparents out of their home. He appeared with an iron shoe that Jakub's father once used to torture him. Jakub's father had been an informer when Czechoslovakia was under Soviet rule, a ranking member of the Party, an expert torturer. Then came the collapse of the USSR and the trial, and orphan Jakub living with his grandparents.

When my father the hero was lost, my father the nation's villain came to light.

Jakub's dream of becoming a scientist is partly inspired by the desire to reestablish Prague as a center of scientific research.

But mostly Jakub desires to restore his family name, remove the curse as it were. When he is offered the chance to go into space and investigate Chopra, a strange purple dust cloud, he eagerly accepts. He will be a hero, bringing scientific glory back to the homeland.

Even if it means leaving his beloved wife behind, an unwilling Penelope left in limbo as her husband explores new worlds.

During his isolated journey through the solar system Jakub has a lot of time to miss his wife, think about the past, and discuss his life with a new friend--the giant black arachnid, the last of his kind, with an interest in earthlings. He teaches Jakub his people's tenants: The body must not be violated. Truths must not be feared.

When the Chopra cloud is reached, Jakub faces challenges that change his life. In the end, Jakub must decide on what kind of life awaits him.

Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar is an unusual book, at once funny and probing, emotionally wise, improbable, a blend of philosophy and fantasy. Exactly the kind of genre-bending read I enjoy dipping into a few times a year!

Kalfar is a Czech-American who came to the US at age 15, and says he learned English from The Cartoon Network. This is his first novel. He holds an MFA from New York University. I look forward to reading more from this young author.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Spaceman in Bohemia
Jaroslav Kalfar
Little, Brown and Company
Publication March 7, 2017
$26 hard cover
ISBN:9780316273435

The Real Right Stuff: Spaceman by Mike Massimino

Space, astronauts, and the exploration of outer space fired my childhood imagination.

In junior high I filled scrapbooks with clippings of everything NASA was doing. I had a poster of the Solar System on my wall. I dad's telescope into the back yard to gaze at the moon.

In 1969 I wrote a poem about Apollo 11 and men walking on the moon. And much later I created my quilt, When Dreams Came True, to celebrate the men and their achievement. I used photos from NASA for the fused applique images.

Showing my quilt When Dreams Came True

When Dreams Came True

detail When Dreams Came True

Detail from When Dreams Came True, the astronauts

A Goodreads friend raved about Spaceman, saying it brought back all her girlish dreams, and I eagerly requested Mike Massimino's memoir when I saw it on Blogging for Books.

What a joy to read! Massimino has achieved remarkable heights in his career, yet he comes across like a regular guy who just happened to get a few lucky breaks thanks to the efforts of others.

"We have this idea in America of the self-made man. We love to celebrate individual achievement...I think the self-made man is a myth....I can honestly say that I've never achieved anything on my own...I owe everything...to the people around me---people who pushed me to be the best version of myself."

Massimino's personality just shines through the book. Concerning his flight training on the T-38, he recalls The Right Stuff astronauts and the glamorous lifestyle they led, "astronauts racing Corvette convertibles across the California desert" and laughs at himself "rocking out in our Nissan Quest mini-van."

Team work, he insists, is the real 'right stuff,' trust, character, and service, being there for each other as part of a small, select family. When Massimino's dad faced a health crisis, everyone pitched in to support him. When his dad needed blood, they donated. When he needed plasma, they donated.

"I'd only been an astronaut for a year...I knew that teamwork and camaraderie were an important part of it, but I didn't understand what that really meant until my father got sick."

A self-avowed people person, a man who never backed down from a challenge, these attributes brought him to be chosen to be on a Hubble mission team. The highlight of his career was to switch out a Hubble array, 350 miles above the earth. Viewing Earth from space was a transformative experience, bringing an epiphany that altered his perception of life and the world.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to read this book. You do need to love an inspiring story told by a man whose love for his work, his family, and his friends shines through every page.

I received a free book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Spaceman
Mike Massimino
Crown Books
$28 hard cover
ISBN: 978-1-101-90354-4