Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the major testing facilities for the United States Department of Defense, have developed a powerful laser weapon that has the ability to kill more people at one time than the atomic bombs did at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. The US government secretly installed the laser into the American module of the International Space Station. Officials believe it is safe and secure. But two spies for al Qaeda, a worldwide terrorist organization, have infiltrated the National Security Council. Theyve alerted their operative, Abreu, about the existence and location of this weapon of mass destruction for which there is no defense. Al Qaeda executes a long-term plan to insert a terrorist into the NASA astronaut corps and to the International Space Station. There, the spy is to gain control of and use the laser weapon to devastate the North American continent. Tipped off about the existence of the al Qaeda plot, American security agencies must combine efforts to find and stop the terrorist. The plan and the American investigation collide head on at the International Space Station.

Discover the true story of the women who stood beside some of the greatest heroes of American space travel in this New York Times bestseller that delivers "a truly great snapshot of the times" (Publishers Weekly) that inspired a limited TV series on ABC! As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons. Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; JFK made it clear that platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was his favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived with a secret that needed to stay hidden from NASA. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, providing one another with support and friendship, coffee and cocktails. As their celebrity rose--and as divorce and tragedy began to touch their lives--the wives continued to rally together, forming bonds that would withstand the test of time, and they have stayed friends for over half a century.

In October 1968 Donn Eisele flew with fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham and Wally Schirra into Earth orbit in Apollo 7. The first manned mission in the Apollo program and the first manned flight after a fire during a launch pad test killed three astronauts in early 1967, Apollo 7 helped restart NASA's manned-spaceflight program. Known to many as a goofy, lighthearted prankster, Eisele worked his way from the U.S. Naval Academy to test pilot school and then into the select ranks of America's prestigious astronaut corps. He was originally on the crew of Apollo 1 before being replaced due to injury. After that crew died in a horrific fire, Eisele was on the crew selected to return Americans to space. Despite the success of Apollo 7, Eisele never flew in space again, as divorce and a testy crew commander led to the three astronauts being labeled as troublemakers. Unbeknownst to everyone, after his retirement as a technical assistant for manned spaceflight at NASA's Langley Research Center in 1972, Eisele wrote in detail about his years in the air force and his time in the Apollo program. Long after his death, Francis French discovered Eisele's unpublished memoir, and Susie Eisele Black (Donn's widow) allowed French access to her late husband's NASA files and personal effects. Readers can now experience an Apollo story they assumed would never be written as well as the story behind its discovery.

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) retires the Space Shuttle and shifts involvement in International Space Station (ISS) operations, changes in the role and requirements of NASA's Astronaut Corps will take place. At the request of NASA, the National Research Council (NRC) addressed three main questions about these changes: what should be the role and size of Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Flight Crew Operations Directorate (FCOD); what will be the requirements of astronaut training facilities; and is the Astronaut Corps' fleet of training aircraft a cost-effective means of preparing astronauts for NASA's spaceflight program? This report presents an assessment of several issues driven by these questions. This report does not address explicitly the future of human spaceflight.

This vibrant memoir features the life story of Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, focusing on Mitchell’s amazing journey to the Moon in 1971 and highlighting the many steps he took to get there. The former astronaut recounts his childhood as a farm boy in New Mexico; flying solo as a teen; living in Roswell during the alleged UFO crash; studying at Carnegie Mellon and MIT; his experiences as a navy combat pilot and finally a NASA astronaut. In suspenseful prose he details his historic flight to the Moon with Alan Shepard and Stu Roosa, describing everything from the practical—eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom in space—to the metaphysical, such as the life-changing sense of connectedness to the universe that he felt during his return to Earth. Resources include lists of websites about space, museums and organizations, films and videos, and books for further reading. Edgar Mitchell was the Lunar Module Pilot for the Apollo 14 mission and the sixth man to walk on the Moon. He is the author of The Way of the Explorer, Paradigm Shift, and The Space Less Traveled; the recipient of many medals and awards; the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He lives in Lake Worth, Florida. Ellen Mahoney is an instructor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at Metro State University of Denver. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Brian Cox is a professor and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Manchester School of Physics and Astronomy, Manchester, England.

The astronauts tell the story of their individual experiences and achievements.

“An exciting insider’s look at Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo . . . NASA’s internal politics, disasters, glitches and close calls” by a pioneering astronaut (Publishers Weekly). Gordon “Gordo” Cooper was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, pilot for Apollo X, head of flight crew operations for the United States’ first orbiting space station, and the last American to venture into space alone. Stretching from the dawning days of NASA to the far reaches of the unknown, Cooper’s distinguished career as a record-setting astronaut helped shape America’s space program and blazed a trail for generations to come. In this astonishing memoir—written with #1 New York Times bestseller Bruce Henderson—Cooper crosses paths with such aviation luminaries as Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post, and German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun; he shares his early days at Edwards Air Force Base and the endeavors that became the basis for The Right Stuff; he takes us inside NASA with candid accounts of his defeats and accomplishments; he reflects on the triumphs and tragedies of his heroic colleagues; and he finally reveals the reasons behind his belief in extraterrestrial intelligence, including the US military’s long-standing UFO cover-ups. Buckle yourself in for a breathtaking ride because in Leap of Faith, Gordon Cooper takes readers to places they’ve never been before.