‘Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space’ by Adam Higginbotham will be available on May 14.
Adam Higginbotham, the New York Times bestselling author of “Midnight in Chernobyl,” has written a new non-fiction account of the momentous event that weaves together an immensely comprehensive and captivating tale of NASA’s catastrophic space shuttle Challenger catastrophe. The book was released today.
The captivating 576-page book “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space” (Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster) offers a detailed account of the shuttle program’s beginnings and aftermath following the Apollo moon missions, which completed their final lunar landing in December 1972. Narrated with a remarkable flair for storytelling, Higginbotham’s comprehensive volume is a masterful work of investigative journalism that serves as a compelling analysis of the intricate costs of creativity, imagination, political positioning, conflicting personalities, mismanagement, and a string of crucial decisions made within NASA that partially caused the spacecraft to explode upon liftoff.
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space” provides a thorough account of the tragedy itself as well as the investigation that followed. It follows a few key protagonists through the years preceding the accident, including each of the seven members of the doomed crew.
“On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean after only seventy-three seconds of flight, killing all seven occupants. The terrible deaths of a crew, which included New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, were observed by millions of Americans. Similar to JFK’s assassination, the Challenger catastrophe is seen as a pivotal event in 20th-century history that permanently altered American identity and outlook on the future. However, the whole tale of what transpired and why has never been revealed. Thus far.
“‘Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space’ follows a few key protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It is based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting. It’s an engrossing story of arrogance and bravery, governmental cynicism and cost-cutting in the name of enhancing national prestige undermining optimism and promise, and an investigation spearheaded by leakers and whistleblowers seeking the truth. There are constant, foreboding indicators of impending disaster that are acknowledged, disregarded, and eventually kept secret from the general population.
“Higginbotham provides insight into the history of the shuttle program, the lives of individuals whose narratives have been eclipsed by the tragedy, and the struggles faced by the test pilots, engineers, and designers in their attempt to launch the first shuttle into orbit. Challenger vividly depicts a historical turning moment through a skillful fusion of captivating human drama and intriguing science, leading to an even more intricate and astounding tale than we can ever imagine.”
The tragic loss of the first space shuttle and its heroic crew of seven astronauts is a memory that will always be ingrained in our collective national consciousness, regardless of where you were on that depressing winter’s day. Writer Adam Higginbotham has genuinely created the most fitting ode to the Challenger and its significance in space exploration history with its profound emotional impact and precise resonance.
‘Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space’ by Adam Higginbotham will be available on May 14.
Adam Higginbotham, the New York Times bestselling author of “Midnight in Chernobyl,” has written a new non-fiction account of the momentous event that weaves together an immensely comprehensive and captivating tale of NASA’s catastrophic space shuttle Challenger catastrophe. The book was released today.
The captivating 576-page book “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space” (Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster) offers a detailed account of the shuttle program’s beginnings and aftermath following the Apollo moon missions, which completed their final lunar landing in December 1972. Narrated with a remarkable flair for storytelling, Higginbotham’s comprehensive volume is a masterful work of investigative journalism that serves as a compelling analysis of the intricate costs of creativity, imagination, political positioning, conflicting personalities, mismanagement, and a string of crucial decisions made within NASA that partially caused the spacecraft to explode upon liftoff.
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space” provides a thorough account of the tragedy itself as well as the investigation that followed. It follows a few key protagonists through the years preceding the accident, including each of the seven members of the doomed crew.
“On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean after only seventy-three seconds of flight, killing all seven occupants. The terrible deaths of a crew, which included New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, were observed by millions of Americans. Similar to JFK’s assassination, the Challenger catastrophe is seen as a pivotal event in 20th-century history that permanently altered American identity and outlook on the future. However, the whole tale of what transpired and why has never been revealed. Thus far.
“‘Challenger: A True Story of Heroism & Disaster on the Edge of Space’ follows a few key protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It is based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting. It’s an engrossing story of arrogance and bravery, governmental cynicism and cost-cutting in the name of enhancing national prestige undermining optimism and promise, and an investigation spearheaded by leakers and whistleblowers seeking the truth. There are constant, foreboding indicators of impending disaster that are acknowledged, disregarded, and eventually kept secret from the general population.
“Higginbotham provides insight into the history of the shuttle program, the lives of individuals whose narratives have been eclipsed by the tragedy, and the struggles faced by the test pilots, engineers, and designers in their attempt to launch the first shuttle into orbit. Challenger vividly depicts a historical turning moment through a skillful fusion of captivating human drama and intriguing science, leading to an even more intricate and astounding tale than we can ever imagine.”
The tragic loss of the first space shuttle and its heroic crew of seven astronauts is a memory that will always be ingrained in our collective national consciousness, regardless of where you were on that depressing winter’s day. Writer Adam Higginbotham has genuinely created the most fitting ode to the Challenger and its significance in space exploration history with its profound emotional impact and precise resonance.
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