Before Lift-Off: The Making of a Space Shuttle Crew

by Henry S.F. Cooper Jr.

Winner of the Eugene Emme Astronautical Literature Prize from the American Astronautical Society

For eight days in October 1984, seven men and women orbitied the Earth on Space Shuttle Mission 41-G. The mission has begun a year earlier; however, with the select of its crew. Before Lift-off is the extraordinary day-to-day story of these astronauts' training and flight-and is as close as most of us will ever come to flying on the space...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801835240
• ISBN13: 9780801835247
• Release Date: September 1987
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

This book gave me purpose

Before Lift-Off is a wonderfully detailed look at the entire process that a Space Shuttle crew goes through in preparing for a mission, from selection, through all their training, and on to the flight itself. You get a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes, and you get a glimpse of just how much work goes into it, not just from the astronauts, but from the thousands of people in the background. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to work in the space industry, or just dreams of being an astronaut.I read this book for the first time in probably 1988 for a junior high assignment, and it was an epiphany. I knew what I wanted to do with my life - train astronauts. And lo and behold, from 1996 through 2000, I did, and it was as amazing (and as much hard work) as the book described.

excellent reading

This book allows the reader to trail along the astronauts & their instructors during training, and it also lets the reader get to know the people involved. It's a wonderful adventure with the crew of 41G!