Colin Burgess Ordre des livres

A deeply researched, beautifully illustrated chronology of the Soviet Union's extraordinary success in the pioneering years of space exploration.

A thrilling, beautifully illustrated account of human space exploration, from the space race of the 1950s and '60s to the present day.

The book delves into the selection process of two pre-Shuttle astronaut groups, uncovering intriguing and previously untold stories. It highlights the extraordinary backgrounds and personal ambitions of the skilled pilots chosen to advance NASA's exploration of space. Through deep research, the authors provide a detailed examination of the motivations and experiences that shaped these astronauts' journeys.

Focusing on Wally Schirra's historic 1962 orbital mission aboard Sigma 7, this biography delves into his life and achievements as a pioneering astronaut. Colin Burgess provides a detailed and personal account, contributing to the Pioneers in Early Spaceflight series, which documents the groundbreaking efforts of Project Mercury and the early Space Age. The book highlights Schirra's significance in space exploration history, making it a valuable resource for enthusiasts and historians alike.

This book celebrates the final spaceflight in the Mercury series, flown by NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper, who led an adventurous life in the cockpit of airplanes and spacecraft alike, and on his Mercury mission he became the last American ever to rocket into space alone.

TO A NATION enthralled by the heroic exploits of the Mercury astronauts, the launch of Lt. Cmdr. Scott Carpenter on NASA’s second orbital space flight was a renewed cause for pride, jubilation and celebration. Within hours, that excitement had given way to stunned disbelief and anxiety as shaken broadcasters began preparing the American public for the very real possibility that an American astronaut and his spacecraft may have been lost at sea. In fact, it had been a very close call. Completely out of fuel and forced to manually guide Aurora 7 through the frightening inferno of re-entry, Carpenter brought the Mercury spacecraft down to a safe splashdown in the ocean. In doing so, he controversially overshot the intended landing zone. Despite his efforts, Carpenter’s performance on the MA-7 mission was later derided by powerful figures within NASA. He would never fly into space again. Taking temporary leave of NASA, Carpenter participated in the U.S. Navy’s pioneering Sealab program. For a record 30 days he lived and worked aboard a pressurized habitat resting on the floor of the ocean, becoming the nation’s first astronaut/aquanaut explorer. Following extensive research conducted by noted spaceflight historian Colin Burgess, the drama-filled flight of Aurora 7 is faithfully recounted in this engrossing book, along with the personal recollections of Scott Carpenter and those closest to the actual events.

In this spellbinding account of an historic but troubled orbital mission, noted space historian Colin Burgess takes us back to an electrifying time in American history, when intrepid pioneers were launched atop notoriously unreliable rockets at the very dawn of human space exploration. A nation proudly and collectively came to a standstill on the day this mission flew; a day that will be forever enshrined in American spaceflight history. On the morning of February 20, 1962, following months of frustrating delays, a Marine Corps war hero and test pilot named John Glenn finally blazed a path into orbit aboard a compact capsule named Friendship 7. The book’s tension-filled narrative faithfully unfolds through contemporary reports and the personal recollections of astronaut John Glenn, along with those closest to the Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America’s most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions. Friendship 7. The book’s tension-filled narrative faithfully unfolds through contemporary reports and the personal recollections of astronaut John Glenn, along with those closest to the Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America’s most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions. Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America’s most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions.

The book delves into the selection and training processes of renowned astronauts like Buzz Aldrin, while also highlighting intriguing individuals who never flew in space. It explores the complexities involved in establishing selection criteria for missions, providing insights into the rigorous standards and the diverse personalities that shaped NASA's astronaut program.

Focusing on the rigorous selection process for America's first astronauts, this work delves into the biographies of all thirty-two finalists, revealing their elite backgrounds as pilots and military personnel. It highlights their diverse experiences, from wartime service to involvement in classified aviation projects. The narrative details the grueling medical examinations and fitness tests they underwent, ultimately showcasing the extraordinary journeys of the seven chosen astronauts and their subsequent achievements in space exploration.

Drawing on interviews with astronauts, cosmonauts, their families, technicians, and scientists, as well as Soviet and American government documents, the authors craft a remarkable story of the golden age of spaceflight as both an intimate human experience and a rollicking global adventure.