Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011

Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Space

De: Rick Houston

Narrado por: James Killavey

Humanity's first reusable spacecraft and the most complex machine ever built, NASA's space shuttle debuted with great promise and as a dependable source of wonder and national pride. But with the Challenger catastrophe in 1986, the whole space shuttle program came into question, as did NASA itself, so long an institution that was seemingly above reproach.

Wheels Stop tells the stirring story of how, after the Challenger disaster, the space shuttle not only recovered but went on to perform its greatest missions. From the Return to Flight mission of STS-26 in 1988 to the last shuttle mission ever on STS-135 in 2011, Wheels Stop takes listeners behind the scenes as the shuttle's crews begin to mend Cold War tensions with the former Soviet Union, conduct vital research, deploy satellites, repair the Hubble Space Telescope, and assist in constructing the International Space Station. It also tells the heart-wrenching story of the Columbia tragedy and the loss of the magnificent STS-107 crew.

As complex as the shuttle was, the people it carried into orbit were often more so - and this is their story, too. Close encounters with astronauts, flight controllers, and shuttle workers capture the human side of the space shuttle's amazing journey - and invite listeners along for the ride.

The book is published by University of Nebraska Press.

©2013 Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"With the Space Shuttle program now at an end, documenting the amazing thirty-year career of these iconic orbiters holds an untold amount of historical importance. Spaceflight isn't easy, people pay in blood and sweat to make it happen. Rick Houston lends a voice to some of the key people involved in what is not only an American treasure but a global superstar." (Chris Bergin, NASASpaceflight.com)

"Enthusiastic portrayal of the heroic age of American space travel." ( Publishers Weekly)

Very good book

Would you consider the audio edition of Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011 to be better than the print version?

Yes, in that sense that I was able to through it at times were I could not read a print version..driving, jogging etc.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to list

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Wheels Stop sounds fine to me.

Any additional comments?

Personal anecdotes from the people involved was what made the book interesting and the reader did a good job which certainly helped.

This was the worst narrator ever.

The story was interesting, but I had to convince myself more than a few times to stay with it, this guy narrating was awful. I'll make sure I write his name down to steer clear of him in the future. ù_

Poor Performance

Loved the information but the performance is unbelievably bad. The reader is doing his best Ted Baxter impression...totally distracting. I wish I would have read the book instead. I would have given the performance 0 stars but the application would’nt let me

The bible doesn’t hold a candle to this masterpiece! …until you hear it.

This book is a treasure chest waiting to be opened full of stories from the Space Shuttle Program- many that most of us never knew! And I’m such a STS nerd that I have one tattooed on my leg! So I thought I knew a thing or two about it’s +30 year triumphant (and tragic) era. Wow was I misinformed! The stories, quotes, recounts and every thing in between chronicling NASA’s finest era is a book that will forever be ‘tattooed’ onto my mind and imagination.

HOWEVER- the narrator reading this story is absolutely AWFUL. I was never fond of his portrayal from the beginning, but I was able to bare through it. Until he quoted Eileen Collins, distinguished astronaut, using a borderline offense and inappropriate ‘female voice.’ This narrator is butchering this work of art and history with his awful voice! It is down right offensive and insulting. Shame on him!

But the book itself is SPECULAR & STELLAR!

Magnificent Machines and American heroes

Would you listen to Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011 again? Why?

No. It was good but no need to read again.

What other book might you compare Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011 to and why?

Can't think of any.

Which character – as performed by James Killavey – was your favorite?

Loved the French astronaut. He give him a very good accent.I should also mention here that I've noticed that Mr. Killavey is a narrator that many people really like...but not everyone. Personal tastes really vary with regard to narrators. There are a few narrators that people praise that I can't stand. Anyway...I like this guy, but you may not, so do the sensible thing and listen to the sample before you download the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No way...much too long.

Any additional comments?

A fascinating look at the people who flew those magnificent machines as well as the people behind the scenes in Mission Control

Good story, but difficult to listen to.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narration of this book made it very difficult to complete. I almost stopped listening at several points due to mispronunciations of names like Shirra and words like museum. There were also unnatural inflections to words and in odd places throughout the entire book. The narrator might be better suited for a fiction book.

What other book might you compare Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011 to and why?

Failure Is Not An Option by Gene Kranz, Rocket Men by Craig Nelson, The All-American Boys by Walter Cunningham, and First Man by James R Hansen all deal with the American Space Program in clearer, more linear fashion.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of James Killavey?

Just about anyone else. This story didn't lend itself to his narration style.

Any additional comments?

I have been bitten by the space flight bug since, as a almost 4 year old, I remember watching the free-flight test of Enterprise in August of 1977. Later, growing up less than 25 miles from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama from the early 80's to mid 90's, I was looking forward to an insiders perspective of what I was only able to get from local sources at the time.

This book did a pretty good job of telling some of the post-Challenger story of several NASA employees, but it had some time gaps and skips that impacted some of the story's cohesion.

If you are interested in the post-Challenger NASA era, then this might be a good book to read in print, but I highly recommend listening to the audio sample before buying this audiobook.

Good material but difficult listen

While this book has many good stories from the shuttle program, I found the organization and performance to detract enough that it was difficult to listen to. The reader trying together chapters so you couldn't tell when they were changing subject, and the random assortment of stories did not lead to the development of overarching themes.

Not bad.

The book really goes into details about the astronauts that flew the missions more than the actual performance of the shuttle itself. It's a good book in the sense that it gives a rare glimpse into the small successes that several space shuttle flights have made. It didn't go into too much depth about the 2 shuttle accidents or even too much depth about Hubble for that matter, which is good because everyone already knows about those things. This is for the more overlooked missions and crews that piloted them.

More about people than machinery

What did you love best about Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011?

The personal anecdotes...actual words and memories of the Astronauts and the people in Mission Control. The kind of stuff you never saw or heard on TV.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011?

The first disaster. Those of us who saw it on TV will never forget it. RIP to them all.

What does James Killavey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

For one thing, I was able to "read" it while driving to work, jogging etc...things I could never do with a print book. The reading itself, in my opinion, was quite good..well paced and intelligently read. Hence, my five stars.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Wheels Stop is fine.

Any additional comments?

Hoping there will be more from this author on this subject and hoping he will use the same narrator. So far, this seems to be the only one by Mr. Houston.

good story, bad narrator

Title says it all. If you like a mix of Kent Brockman and Bernie Sanders as a narrator, this book is for you. But that accent drove me crazy