Leaving Orbit

Winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, a breathtaking elegy to the waning days of human spaceflight as we have known it In the 1960s, humans took their first steps away from Earth, and for a time our possibilities in space seemed endless. But in a time of austerity and in the wake of high-profile disasters like Challenger, that dream has ended. In early 2011, Margaret Lazarus Dean traveled to Cape Canaveral for NASA's last three space shuttle launches in order to bear witness to the end of an era. With Dean as our guide to Florida's Space Coast and to the history of NASA, Leaving Orbit takes the measure of what American spaceflight has achieved while reckoning with its earlier witnesses, such as Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Oriana Fallaci. Along the way, Dean meets NASA workers, astronauts, and space fans, gathering possible answers to the question: What does it mean that a spacefaring nation won't be going to space anymore?

In this definitive account of the quest to establish a human presence in lifeless outer space, award-winning space historian Robert Zimmerman reveals the great global gamesmanship between Soviet and American political leaders that drove the space efforts of both following the Apollo lunar landings in the 1960s and 1970s. Beaten to the Moon by their Cold War enemies, the Russians were intent on being first to the planets. They knew that to reach other worlds they needed to learn how to build interplanetary spaceships, and believed that manned space stations held the greatest promise for making that possible. Thus, from the very moment they realized they had lost the race to the Moon, the Soviet government worked feverishly to build a viable space station program - one that would dwarf the American efforts and allow the Russians to claim the vast territories of space as their own. Like the race between the tortoise and the hare, the ponderously bureaucratic Soviet Union actually managed to overtake the United States in this space station race. Their efforts - sometimes resulting in terrifying near death exploits - not only put them far ahead of NASA, it also served to reshape their own society, helping to change it from a communist dictatorship to a freer and more capitalist society. At the same time, the American space program at NASA was also evolving, but not for the better. In fact, in many ways the two programs - and nations - were slowly but inexorably trading places. Drawing on his vast store of knowledge about space travel and modern history, as well as hundreds of interviews with cosmonauts, astronauts, and scientists, Zimmerman has superbly captured the exciting story of space travel in the last half of the twentieth century. "Leaving Earth" tells that story, and is required reading for space and history enthusiasts alike who wish to understand the context of the space exploration renaissance taking place now, in the twenty-first century.

"There's something intriguing to be learned on practically every page... [How to Astronaut] captures the details of an extraordinary job and turns even the mundane aspects of space travel into something fascinating."––Publishers Weekly Ride shotgun on a trip to space with astronaut Terry Virts. A born storyteller with a gift for the surprising turn of phrase and eye for the perfect you-are-there details, he captures all the highs, lows, humor, and wonder of an experience few will ever know firsthand. Featuring stories covering survival training, space shuttle emergencies, bad bosses, the art of putting on a spacesuit, time travel, and much more!

A RACE AGAINST TIME AND A GATEWAY TO THE UNKNOWN AWAITS Thrilling space adventure from a Marine vet. Five years ago, astronaut Jack Templeton took the spacecraft Magellan to the farthest reaches of our solar system, never to be heard from again. Until now. When the Magellan suddenly reappears where an undiscovered planet was suspected to be, it poses more questions than answers. How did Jack survive all this time? Can he be rescued before his life support runs out? And what is the object long thought to be the elusive “Planet Nine?” In a race against time, Jack’s former crewmate Traci Keene spearheads a desperate effort to outfit a rescue mission. But she has competition. Agencies of both American and foreign governments have their own agendas, and rescuing rogue astronauts isn’t among them. And at the edge of all that is known, a gateway to the unknown awaits. . . . At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Frozen Orbit: “. . . hard science fiction and an entertaining and gripping plot. . . . science fiction at its best.” —The Galveston County Daily News About Farside: “The situations are realistic, the characters interesting, the perils harrowing, and the stakes could not be higher.” —John Walker, Ricochet.com

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert. But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words. Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s phenomenal Iron Druid Chronicles novels: HOUNDED | HEXED | HAMMERED | TRICKED | TRAPPED | HUNTED | SHATTERED | STAKED

This second volume of the highly practical and informative work continues the fine tradition of this exceptional series. It details the latest concepts and management techniques in oculofacial plastic surgery. It contains in-depth reviews of orbital disorders such as capillary hemangiomas and venolymphatic malformations, offering new strategies in diagnosis and management. Coverage also includes recent developments in the diagnosis and management of lacrimal disorders, including salivary gland transposition for severe dry eye and lacrimal stenosis. It will prove to be a valuable resource for both the comprehensive ophthalmologist as well as subspecialists with a particular interest in disorders of the orbit, eyelids, lacrimal system, and other facial structures.

THE BEGINNING OF LIFE AWAITS AT THE END OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. A FROZEN ANSWER AT THE EDGE OF PLANETARY SPACE Set to embark on NASA’s first expedition to the outer planets, the crew of the spacecraft Magellan learns someone else has beaten them by a few decades: a top-secret Soviet project codenamed Arkangel. Now during their long race to the Kuiper Belt, astronauts Jack Templeton and Traci Keene must unwind a decades-old mystery buried in the pages of a dead cosmonaut’s journal. The solution will challenge their beliefs about the nature of humanity, and will force the astronauts to confront the question of existence itself. And the final answer lies at the edge of the Solar System, waiting to change everything. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Farside by Patrick Chiles: "The situations are realistic, the characters interesting, the perils harrowing, and the stakes could not be higher...The story is one of problem solving, adventure, survival, improvisation, and includes one of the most unusual episodes of space combat in all of science fiction. It would make a terrific movie."— John Walker, Ricochet.com "...a fast-paced and exciting story which bounces between the borders of technological thriller and science fiction...Farside is an impressive effort."—Mark Lardas, The Galveston County Daily News

Jack Chandler-living on the fifth planet in the Altair Star System-is driven by alien spirits. He sends four powerful and invisible energy crystals from that world, to Earth. The plan is to reenergize twelve dormant alien satellites in Earth's orbit. Four individuals, in their twenties, on Earth have a gift-they can see a higher spectrum of light on the EM band. They can see the invisible crystals. They must place their ordinary lives on the sidelines and find the crystals at four different locations. With the passing of each hour the satellites are one step closer to coming online. If the satellites become active, an energy grid will form and encompass the planet. All animation on Earth will be suspended and beams will come down and pull all of the inhabitants from the surface. Brian Mathews, Jerome Shay, Lisa Tsung and Steve Ryder will have to be dauntless when they attempt to locate, and send the crystals back, through a wormhole. Their tasks will be difficult because Jack Chandler, with the use of hypnosis, secures the help of several big men on Earth. His puppets will be relentless as they try to stop the crystals from being returned-and try to kill Earth's four saviors.