The former launch commentator "offers a personal--and sometimes
painful--look back at one of the darkest chapters in US human
spaceflight" (Space.com).
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger launched from the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Seventy-three seconds after launch, the
fiery breach of a solid motor joint caused a rupture of the propellant
tanks, and a stunned nation watched as flames engulfed the craft,
killing all seven crew members on board. It was Hugh Harris, "the voice
of launch control," whom audiences across the country heard counting
down to lift-off on that fateful day.
With over fifty years of experience with NASA's missions, Harris
presents the story of the Challenger tragedy as only an insider can.
With by-the-second accounts of the spacecraft's launch and a
comprehensive overview of the ensuing investigation, Harris gives
readers a behind-the-scenes look at the devastating accident that
grounded the shuttle fleet for over two years. This book tells the whole
story of the Challenger's tragic legacy.