Scott Ourecky wanted to fly; he never dreamed he'd end up in a secret military space program. The year is 1968. The Cold War is far from over, and nuclear annihilation is always only a heartbeat away. America is racing the Soviet Union to land men on the moon, a war is raging, and a pivotal presidential election looms on the horizon. A child of the early space age, Lieutenant Scott Ourecky joins the Air Force with aspirations of going to flight school. A brilliant engineer, he repeatedly fails the aptitude test to become a pilot but is selected to work on a highly classified military space program—the innocuously named Aerospace Support Project—n which Air Force astronauts are slated to fly missions to intercept and destroy suspect Soviet satellites. When one of the astronauts in training abruptly falls out of the project, Ourecky is asked to fill in for the two-man simulated missions and survival training only, serving with a headstrong and abrasive test pilot, Major Drew Carson, until another astronaut can be assigned. By far the most proficient pilot assigned to the project, Carson has a dangerous propensity to engage in pickup dogfighting sessions while on cross-country training flights. And although Ourecky was only a temporary placeholder, not destined to fly in space, he soon finds himself much more involved than he ever anticipated—and in deepest peril. Based on a real secret space program, Blue Gemini combines high-altitude action with edge-of-your-seat storytelling to create a modern classic Cold War thriller.

Memory, history, and culture collide with the starlit rooftop dreams of a myth-inspired character as Soledad and her partner, Hailstorm, redefine family on their own terms after the death of their eldest son in Iraq. "blu, " steeped in poetic realism and contemporary politics, challenges us to try to imagine a time before war.Selected as the winner of the 2010 Yale Drama competition from more than 950 submissions, Virginia Grise's play "blu" takes place in the present but looks back on the not too distant past through a series of prayers, rituals, and dreams. Contest judge David Hare commented, "Virginia Grise is a blazingly talented writer, and her play "blu" stays with you a long time after you've read it." Noting that 2010 was a banner year for women playwrights, he added, "Women's writing for the theatre is stronger and more eloquent than it has ever been."

Presents an introduction to human space exploration, discussing the evolution of space technology that has allowed the human race to go from merely orbiting the Earth to landing on the Moon and living for months in a space station.

Space exploration has fascinated us since the launch of the first primitive rockets more than 3,000 years ago, and it continues to fascinate us today. The data gathered from such exploration has been hugely instrumental in furthering our understanding of our universe and our world. In Space Flight: History, Technology, and Operations, author Lance K. Erickson offers a comprehensive look at the history of space exploration, the technology that makes it possible, and the continued efforts that promise to carry us into the future. Space Flight goes through the history of space exploration, from the earliest sub-orbital and orbital missions to today's deep-space probes, to provide a close look at past and present projects, then turns its attention to programs being planned today and to the significance of future exploration. Focusing on research data gleaned from these exploration programs, the book's historical perspective highlights the progression of our scientific understanding of both the smallest and largest entities in our universe, from subatomic particles, to distant stars, planets, and galaxies. Both the novice and the advanced student of space exploration stand to profit from the author's engaging and insightful discussion.

US astronauts race to disarm Soviet satellites armed with nuclear weapons in the concluding volume in a thrilling alt-history Cold War-era space trilogy from Mike Jenne. As the Project enters its final phase, Air Force Majors Carson and Ourecky are dispatched on an urgent mission to intercept and investigate a massive orbiting object suspected of harboring nuclear weapons. Emotionally exhausted, with his marriage teetering on the brink, Ourecky reluctantly accepts the assignment. In return for his sacrifice, he is promised an opportunity to go to MIT to pursue the PhD he has long desired. As they draw close to the mysterious satellite and prepare to destroy it, they are confronted with a dark secret that they must carry forever and are forced to contemplate their own mortality and the dire prospect of dying in space. Upon their return to Earth the majors are offered an opportunity almost too good to pass up—flying into orbit yet again, except under considerably different circumstances. Ourecky wrestles with his decision, knowing that choosing to fly will almost certainly result in the end of his marriage, while Carson is finally granted an opportunity to fly in Vietnam. Although he is finally allowed to fulfill his dream of flying in combat, Carson soon discovers that there are some fates worse than death. As the darkest secrets are revealed to astronauts Carson and Ourecky, can they save themselves? Pale Blue is the epic, high-flying conclusion to the Blue Gemini trilogy that will leave you breathless.

Do you wonder what you did in past lives? Do you think about your life's purpose? Do you wonder what talents you possess from past incarnations? Noted Astrologer Laurie A. Baum, MSW, answers these occult questions and many others in Sacred Mysteries of Egypt...An Astrological Interpretation of Ancient Holographic Wisdom. Through insightful astrology readings, Laurie will explain why you are attracted to certain people, colors, shapes, numbers, days of the week, and seasons of the year. She also will show you how to harmonize the color of your aura with the color of your clothing, your office, your home, and your bedroom. Within the pages of Sacred Mysteries of Egypt, you will discover the relationship between astrology and the Sacred Mysteries of the Seven Rays of Color, the Chakras, Numerology, Kabbalah, Pyramids, the Moon, Mercury Retrograde and Eclipses. Meditate on the occult wisdom as taught in the Mystery Schools of Ancient Egypt, and find out how these fascinating ancient phenomena influence you and your daily activities. Read Sacred Mysteries of Egypt, and increase your awareness of ancient wisdom today!