U.S. Space & Rocket Center releaseAstronaut/Author Lands at U.S. Space & Rocket Center for Book Signing
Former astronaut turned author, Mike Mullane, will visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Saturday, March 11, 2006, to autograph copies of his new book, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut.
A West Point grad with 134 combat missions to his credit as a Weapon Systems Operator aboard RF-4C Phantom aircraft in Viet Nam, Mullane was among the very first group of astronauts chosen for the space shuttle program and is a veteran of three shuttle missions, logging 356 hours in space. Mullane has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit and the NASA Space Flight Medal.
His latest book, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, is described as a vivid portrayal of every aspect of the astronaut experience told with a candor never before seen in an astronaut’s memoir; "sometimes bawdy, often hilarious, and always entertaining."
"Riding Rockets is the story of space-age America in all its glory and folly as seen through the eyes of a remarkable writer who has brilliantly captured the triumphant and tragic years of the Space Shuttle era," says Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys.
"If you want a peek behind the NASA kimono, this is it! It may be more than you wanted to know about today's all-American boys laying it all on the line to fly the Space Shuttle. Mike's story is honest... brutally honest. You haven't read it before, and you are not likely to see it in the future," according to Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham.
Since his retirement from NASA in 1990, Colonel Mullane has written an award-winning children's book, Liftoff! An Astronaut's Dream, and a popular space-fact book, Do Your Ears Pop in Space? However Mullane says his latest book is not intended for younger readers because of the explicit detail in which he describes his NASA experiences.
Mullane will be on-hand from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the lobby of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, on Saturday, March 11 for autographs. Copies of Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut and Do Your Ears Pop in Space will be available for purchase.