Spaceman

An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe

De: Mike Massimino

Narrado por: Mike Massimino

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that's about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on Earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you're about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind's chance to unlock the universe's secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit, with all the zip and buoyancy of life in microgravity.

Massimino's childhood space dreams were born the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Growing up in a working-class Long Island family, he catapulted himself to Columbia and then MIT, only to flunk his first doctoral exam and be rejected three times by NASA before making it through the final round of astronaut selection. Taking us through the surreal wonder and beauty of his first spacewalk, the tragedy of losing friends in the Columbia shuttle accident, and the development of his enduring love for the Hubble Telescope - which he and his fellow astronauts were tasked with saving on his final mission - Massimino has written an ode to never giving up and the power of teamwork to make anything possible. Spaceman invites us into a rare, wonderful world where science meets the most thrilling adventure, revealing just what having "the right stuff" really means.

©2016 Michael J. Massimino (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Drive, determination, and desire are the enduring qualities that are reflected throughout this audiobook, narrated by its author, former astronaut Mike Massimino… His joy is contagious, and his accomplishments are incredible. Everyone, not just science geeks, will enjoy this production. " ( AudioFile)

Engrossing Memoir

As a child Massimino was fascinated and preoccupied with space exploration. He gathered information about his heroes, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. He wanted to grow up and be an astronaut. Massimino graduated from Columbia and MIT with an engineering degree and then he went to work for NASA.

Massimino tells in detail about his life as an astronaut and the various missions he was on. I was most interested in the work he did to correct the problem with the Hubble Telescope. He goes into detail about what life in space was like and all the problems he and other astronauts had to overcome. Massimino had obstacles he had to overcome to achieve his goal and how he went about overcoming them is inspiring.

The book is well written in an affable, conversational style prose. It is great to read about someone achieving their childhood dream. I also found the fact he maintained an unwavering obsession with space all his life absolutely great. The book has humor and is easy to read. It leaves the reader with an upbeat feeling. This is a good book for a young person to read, who is trying to decide on a career choice. Now there is a choice of not only NASA but dozens of private corporations all working in space exploration.

Mike Massimino did a good job narrating his own book.

My Career Path Is So Boring

What a stellar read! This was so unexpectedly inspirational and motivational. It's clear Mike Massimino is just a good human, regardless of being an astronaut. I was utterly charmed and captivated by his journey. Some moments were touching, others were terrifying. I was on the verge of tears so many times that I was a complete emotional wreck after finishing this book, but in a good way.

I always say I'm not the world's biggest fan of memoirs, but I think I've changed my mind across the course of the past couple of years. It has to be the right person, and the right story, and then I'm just all the way in. This is one of those absolutely right reads for ever so many reasons.

The added bonus on this one is that I accidentally learned all kinds of fascinating things I didn't know or never thought about, in regards to the journey to becoming an astronaut.

loved it!!

Mike Massimo has a great way of describing what it was like to be in space. His story is so interesting and relatable, even though I am about as far from an astronaut as you can get. the story is also very inspiring. I am glad he read the book himself, his humor really shines through.

Way to go, "Mass"!

A most excellent tale written and read by the astronaut himself. I've known of him as the Hubble spacewalker guy. Many will recognize him as the actual astronaut from Big Bang Theory who taunted Howard and named him "Fruit Loops".

I blew through it in two days & didn't want it to end.

Fascinating book

What a wonderful book....Mr. Massimino describes what it is like to fly in space, and the hard work, determination, and perseverance to do it. Loved his narration, and emotions he had when looking down at the earth. Thank you Mr. Massimino for sharing so much of your time and experience with us!