Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut

Mike Mullane

Feb 2006 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

On February 1, 1978, the first group of space shuttle astronauts, twenty-nine men and six women, were introduced to the world. Among them would be history makers, including the first American woman and the first African American in space. This assembly of astronauts would carry NASA through the most tumultuous years of the space shuttle program. Four would die on Challenger.

USAF Colonel Mike Mullane was a member of this astronaut class, and Riding Rockets is his story -- told with a candor never before seen in an astronaut's memoir. Mullane strips the heroic veneer from the astronaut corps and paints them as they are -- human. His tales of arrested development among military flyboys working with feminist pioneers and post-doc scientists are sometimes bawdy, often hilarious, and always entertaining.

Mullane vividly portrays every aspect of the astronaut experience -- from telling a female technician which urine-collection condom size is a fit; to walking along a Florida beach in a last, tearful goodbye with a spouse; to a wild, intoxicating, terrifying ride into space; to hearing "Taps" played over a friend's grave. Mullane is brutally honest in his criticism of a NASA leadership whose bungling would precipitate the Challenger disaster.

Riding Rockets is a story of life in all its fateful uncertainty, of the impact of a family tragedy on a nine-year-old boy, of the revelatory effect of a machine called Sputnik, and of the life-steering powers of lust, love, and marriage. It is a story of the human experience that will resonate long after the call of "Wheel stop."

Ratings and reviews

Absolutely brilliant. I've read over a dozen books on NASA, but I still learned a great deal from Mr. Mullane. I also literally laughed until I cried at one point (the tale of the UCD fitting, for those who've read it), "just" laughed aloud at others, and shed the tears he could not for the loss of the crew of Challenger. I highly recommend reading it. (Unless you're offended by crude humor - in that case, skip it. Mullane had very sexist views when he was younger, and a seriously dirty mind. (He probably still has the latter - LOL.) I was highly amused by his humour - and his views have changed - but not everyone likes dick jokes.)

This was such a well written book that kept me engaged at some many levels. First, the narrations on the Shuttle flights (especially the launches) were vivid and nerve-wracking. Moreover, the stories of the sacrifices made by his family and his likewise devotion to them were very touching. Finally, the humorous writing style and hilarious stories of goofy exploits with fellow astronauts had me constantly in stitches.

Well written, hilarious, no holds barred story of living the dream. The ups and downs of living on the edge of the envelope and its effects on the astronauts and their families.

About the author

Upon his graduation from West Point in 1967, Mike Mullane was commissioned in the USAF. He flew 134 combat missions in Vietnam. Selected in the first group of space shuttle astronauts, he completed three space missions. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Donna, and enjoys the challenge of Colorado's fourteen-thousand-foot peaks -- six climbed, forty-seven to go. He is also an acclaimed motivational speaker.

For more information visit www.MikeMullane.com.