Wheels Stop: The Tragedies and Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program, 1986-2011 Audiobook By Rick Houston cover art

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

Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Space

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

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

By: Rick Houston
Narrated by: James Killavey
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

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
Aeronautics & Astronautics History Physics United States Interstellar Space Station Aviation Transportation US Air Force Air Force Space Program
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"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)

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

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    119
  • 4 Stars
    90
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    26