Come Fly with Us
NASA's Payload Specialist Program
By John Youskauskas, Melvin Croft | Publisher: Nebraska
About the book
Winner of the 2020 Space Hipsters Prize for Best Book in Astronomy, Space Exploration, or Space History
Come Fly with Us is the story of an elite group of space travelers who flew as members of many space shuttle crews from pre-Challenger days to Columbia in 2003. Not part of the regular NASA astronaut corps, these professionals known as “payload specialists” came from a wide variety of backgrounds and were chosen for an equally wide variety of scientific, political, and national security reasons. Melvin Croft and John Youskauskas focus on this special fraternity of spacefarers and their individual reflections on living and working in space. Relatively unknown to the public and often flying only single missions, these payload specialists give the reader an unusual perspective on the experience of human spaceflight. The authors also bring to light NASA’s struggle to integrate the wide-ranging personalities and professions of these men and women into the professional astronaut ranks.
While Come Fly with Us relates the experiences of the payload specialists up to and including the Challenger tragedy, the authors also detail the later high-profile flights of a select few, including Barbara Morgan, John Glenn (who returned to space at the age of seventy-seven), and Ilan Ramon of Israel aboard Columbia on its final, fatal flight, STS-107.
Editions of Come Fly with Us
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780803278929
- EBook
- ISBN 9781496212245
- EBook
- ISBN 9781496212252
- EBook
- ISBN 9781496212269
Read an Excerpt
Winner of the 2020 Space Hipsters Prize for Best Book in Astronomy, Space Exploration, or Space History
Come Fly with Us is the story of an elite group of space travelers who flew as members of many space shuttle crews from pre-Challenger days to Columbia in 2003. Not part of the regular NASA astronaut corps, these professionals known as “payload specialists” came from a wide variety of backgrounds and were chosen for an equally wide variety of scientific, political, and national security reasons. Melvin Croft and John Youskauskas focus on this special fraternity of spacefarers and their individual reflections on living and working in space. Relatively unknown to the public and often flying only single missions, these payload specialists give the reader an unusual perspective on the experience of human spaceflight. The authors also bring to light NASA’s struggle to integrate the wide-ranging personalities and professions of these men and women into the professional astronaut ranks.
While Come Fly with Us relates the experiences of the payload specialists up to and including the Challenger tragedy, the authors also detail the later high-profile flights of a select few, including Barbara Morgan, John Glenn (who returned to space at the age of seventy-seven), and Ilan Ramon of Israel aboard Columbia on its final, fatal flight, STS-107.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Come Fly with Us about?
Winner of the 2020 Space Hipsters Prize for Best Book in Astronomy, Space Exploration, or Space History
Come Fly with Us is the story of an elite group of space travelers who flew as members of many space shuttle crews from pre-Challenger days to Columbia in 2003. Not part of the regular NASA astronaut corps, these professionals known as “payload specialists” came from a wide variety of backgrounds and were chosen for an equally wide variety of scientific, political, and national security reasons. Melvin Croft and John Youskauskas focus on this special fraternity of spacefarers and their individual reflections on living and working in space. Relatively unknown to the public and often flying only single missions, these payload specialists give the reader an unusual perspective on the experience of human spaceflight. The authors also bring to light NASA’s struggle to integrate the wide-ranging personalities and professions of these men and women into the professional astronaut ranks.
While Come Fly with Us relates the experiences of the payload specialists up to and including the Challenger tragedy, the authors also detail the later high-profile flights of a select few, including Barbara Morgan, John Glenn (who returned to space at the age of seventy-seven), and Ilan Ramon of Israel aboard Columbia on its final, fatal flight, STS-107.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Come Fly with Us?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Come Fly with Us?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780803278929
How long is Come Fly with Us and how many pages does it have?
Come Fly with Us has 456 page(s)
Is Come Fly with Us part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Come Fly with Us?
John Youskauskas, Melvin Croft
Who is the Publisher of the book Come Fly with Us?
Nebraska
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Come Fly with Us is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780803278929) and ebook(ISBN 9781496212245) and ebook(ISBN 9781496212252) and ebook(ISBN 9781496212269)
Where can I buy Come Fly with Us online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Come Fly with Us from below
Where can I buy Come Fly with Us?