Leaving Orbit

Leaving Orbit
Author: Margaret Lazarus Dean
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2015-05-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1555973418

Winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, a breathtaking elegy to the waning days of human spaceflight as we have known it In the 1960s, humans took their first steps away from Earth, and for a time our possibilities in space seemed endless. But in a time of austerity and in the wake of high-profile disasters like Challenger, that dream has ended. In early 2011, Margaret Lazarus Dean traveled to Cape Canaveral for NASA's last three space shuttle launches in order to bear witness to the end of an era. With Dean as our guide to Florida's Space Coast and to the history of NASA, Leaving Orbit takes the measure of what American spaceflight has achieved while reckoning with its earlier witnesses, such as Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Oriana Fallaci. Along the way, Dean meets NASA workers, astronauts, and space fans, gathering possible answers to the question: What does it mean that a spacefaring nation won't be going to space anymore?

Leaving the Planet by Space Elevator

Leaving the Planet by Space Elevator
Author: Philip Ragan
Publisher:
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2006-10-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781430300069

An easy guide to the most exciting development in space travel since the rocket. Stripped of the technical jargon, this is a laymans guide to the breathtaking developments surrounding the space elevator: a plan to string a 100,000 km from Earth to space, revolutionising space access.

Earth Afire

Earth Afire
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2013-06-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 142994384X

One hundred years before Ender's Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. This is the story of the First Formic War. Victor Delgado beat the alien ship to Earth, but just barely. Not soon enough to convince skeptical governments that there was a threat. They didn't believe that until space stations and ships and colonies went up in sudden flame. And when that happened, only Mazer Rackham and the Mobile Operations Police could move fast enough to meet the threat. Fans of Ender's Game will thrill to Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston's Earth Afire. THE ENDER UNIVERSE Ender series Ender’s Game / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind / Ender in Exile / Children of the Fleet Ender’s Shadow series Ender’s Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston) Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston) The Swarm / The Hive Ender novellas A War of Gifts / First Meetings At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Reflections from Earth Orbit

Reflections from Earth Orbit
Author: Winston E. Scott
Publisher: Apogee Books
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

In spite of the recent loss of the space shuttle Columbia, there are those who believe in the seemingly routine nature of space flight. The author's experiences however confirm the tremendous curiosity and overall fascination the world maintains for flying in space. As a public speaker, he talks regularly to thousands of people of all ages and from every walk of life. These audience members universally are inquisitive about life in space and the makeup of the individuals who form the corps of con-temporary space explorers. Reflections From Earth Orbit is not your typical 'how do you go to the bathroom in space' book. It is a book about life as told through the memories, or reflections, of the author navy Captain Winston Scott. These reflections were prompted by events that occurred during two space shuttle missions as a NASA astronaut aboard the space shuttles Endeavour and Columbia. It has been written that Captain Scott's journey to the stars is a testament to perseverance and vision. Reflections is his attempt to share some of the experiences that drove him to overcome his life's obstacles and become one of a select few who journeyed beyond the bonds of earth into outer space. Through Reflections the author takes the reader into space. He gives vivid descriptions of life in space emphasising the everyday aspects of living with which the average, everyday person is curious and to which he or she can relate. As his memory is jogged by an event in space, Captain Scott relates a fascinating story with lessons learned from his past. He has succeeded in capturing the essence of life in space and sharing the space flight experience with the reader. Although not every chapter follows this exact format, e.g. Where Have You Gone Sky King, Reflections will entertain, educate, and inspire a general audience. In other words, one does not have to be a space enthusiast to enjoy 'Reflections'.

Hitchers

Hitchers
Author: Will McIntosh
Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1597803367

Two years ago, on the same day but miles apart, Finn Darby lost two of the most important people in his life: his wife Lorena, struck by lightning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and his abusive, alcoholic grandfather, Tom Darby, creator of the long-running newspaper comic strip Toy Shop. Against his grandfather’s dying wish, Finn has resurrected Toy Shop, adding new characters, and the strip is more popular than ever, bringing in fan letters, merchandising deals, and talk of TV specials. Finn has even started dating again. When a terrorist attack decimates Atlanta, killing half a million souls, Finn begins blurting things in a strange voice beyond his control. The voice says things only his grandfather could know. Countless other residents of Atlanta are suffering a similar bizarre affliction. Is it mass hysteria, or have the dead returned to possess the living? Finn soon realizes he has a hitcher within his skin... his grandfather. And Grandpa isn’t terribly happy about the changes Finn has been making to Toy Shop. Together with a pair of possessed friends, an aging rock star, and a waitress, Finn races against time to find a way to send the dead back to Deadland... or die trying!

Goldilocks

Goldilocks
Author: Laura Lam
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2020-05-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316462896

A gripping science fiction thriller where five women task themselves with ensuring the survival of the human race—if you mixed ". . .The Martian and The Handmaid's Tale, this sci-fi novel would be the incredible result" (Book Riot). “Best of 2020” –Library Journal “Best of 2020” –Kirkus “Best of 2020 – runner up” –Polygon “Our favorite books of 2020” –GeekDad Despite increasing restrictions on the freedoms of women on Earth, Valerie Black is spearheading the first all-female mission to a planet in the Goldilocks Zone, where conditions are just right for human habitation. It's humanity's last hope for survival, and Naomi, Valerie's surrogate daughter and the ship's botanist, has been waiting her whole life for an opportunity like this - to step out of Valerie's shadow and really make a difference. But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi begins to suspect that someone on board is concealing a terrible secret - and realizes time for life on Earth may be running out faster than they feared . . . "Goldilocks is a thrilling, character-driven space opera", perfect for readers of The Martian, The Power, and Station Eleven (Shelf Awareness).

How to Astronaut

How to Astronaut
Author: Terry Virts
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1523512040

Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts offers an insider's guide to astronauting—a behind-the-scenes look at the training, the basic rules, lessons, and procedures of space travel, including how to deal with a dead body in space, what it’s like to film an IMAX movie in orbit, what exactly to do when nature calls, and much more, in 51 brief chapters.

Orbit

Orbit
Author: Jay Apt
Publisher: National Geographic
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003-10
Genre: Earth
ISBN: 9780792261865

Collects many of the most visually significant photographs taken during the first forty-one years of orbital space travel, in a volume that reflects the achievements of the space program, the natural wonders of the planet, and the consequences of pollution. Reprint.

Graveyard Orbit

Graveyard Orbit
Author: David Moore
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2009-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1440182396

Jack Chandler-living on the fifth planet in the Altair Star System-is driven by alien spirits. He sends four powerful and invisible energy crystals from that world, to Earth. The plan is to reenergize twelve dormant alien satellites in Earth's orbit. Four individuals, in their twenties, on Earth have a gift-they can see a higher spectrum of light on the EM band. They can see the invisible crystals. They must place their ordinary lives on the sidelines and find the crystals at four different locations. With the passing of each hour the satellites are one step closer to coming online. If the satellites become active, an energy grid will form and encompass the planet. All animation on Earth will be suspended and beams will come down and pull all of the inhabitants from the surface. Brian Mathews, Jerome Shay, Lisa Tsung and Steve Ryder will have to be dauntless when they attempt to locate, and send the crystals back, through a wormhole. Their tasks will be difficult because Jack Chandler, with the use of hypnosis, secures the help of several big men on Earth. His puppets will be relentless as they try to stop the crystals from being returned-and try to kill Earth's four saviors.