Spacewalker

Jerry L. Ross

Description

From the age of ten, looking up at the stars, Jerry Ross knew that he wanted to journey into space. This autobiography tells the story of how he came not only to achieve that goal, but to become the most-launched astronaut in history, as well as a NASA veteran whose career spanned the entire US Space Shuttle program. From his childhood in rural Indiana, through education at Purdue University, and a career in the US Air Force, Ross charted a path to NASA after overcoming many setbacks-from failing to qualify for Air Force pilot training because of "bad" eyesight, to an initial failure to be selected into the astronaut program. The majority of the book is an insider's account of the US Space Shuttle program, including the unforgettable experience of launch, the delights of weightless living, and the challenges of constructing the International Space Station. Ross is a uniquely qualified narrator. During seven spaceflights, he spent 1,393 hours in space, including 58 hours and 18 minutes on nine space walks. Life on the ground is also described, including the devastating experiences of the Challenger and Columbia disasters. For readers who have followed the space program from Mercury through the International Space Station and wonder what comes next, this book provides fascination; for young people interested in space exploration and reaching for their dreams, whatever they might be, this book provides inspiration. Full of stories of spaceflight that few humans have ever experienced, told with humor and honesty, Spacewalker presents a unique perspective on the hard work, determination, and faith necessary to travel beyond this world.
Foreword, by Eugene A. Cernan

Prologue: Jim Gentleman

One: Sputnik, a mouse, and blackberry pie

Two: “Look to your left and look to your right”

Three: “My daddy is an astronaut . . .”

Four: The no-names

Five: “Liftoff! We have liftoff!”

Six: “Obviously a major malfunction”

Seven: Two more boarding passes

Eight: The John Young glass ceiling

Nine: “Lock the doors”

Ten: Blessed, happy, thankful . . . and surprised!

My Journey—A Timeline

STS - 61B—Anatomy of a Launch

Index

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques
• Technology
• Engineering
• Agriculture

Informations

• Publié par: Purdue University Press
• Date de parution: 31 janvier 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781612493060
• Langue: English

Extrait

SPACEWALKER
“As an astronaut for over three decades, one who participated in some of the most challenging and exciting Shuttle missions, Jerry Ross knows spaceflight. In Spacewalker , he details the exultation of actually being in space and brings to life the realities of preparing for and executing one of the most difficult of all human endeavors. Spacewalker is the book for anyone who ever dreamed of flying in space.”
–Neil Armstrong, Commander of Apollo 11 (June 2012)

“I have known Jerry Ross for many years, as an astronaut, a friend, and as a fellow alumnus of Purdue University. We’ve had many opportunities to share our experiences and our dreams for space exploration. We share a passion for inspiring young people. This is the story of one man’s lifelong quest to explore the unknown, overcome setbacks and obstacles, and keep the beacon of space shining in the hearts of all people, young and old. This book is about an American Dream.”
–Eugene Cernan, NASA Gemini and Apollo astronaut; co-author of The Last Man on the Moon

“Seven times in space, a first and a record matched by only one other. As Flight Director I sweated out the gut-wrenching final seconds on launch day many times. In the seconds before launch I said a prayer for my team, and then at the instant the rocket was freed of its earthly shackles I briefly prayed for our crew. Most astronauts of my day would fly but two or three missions, but Jerry Ross faced the fire and the risks of launch day repeatedly. This book is the story of a common man from the Midwest who became an American hero … a model for the youth of our nation and for those who will accept the challenge to follow in his footsteps.”
–Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director for Gemini and Apollo, including Apollo 11 and 13; author of Failure Is Not an Option

“As a NASA training manager, I knew Jerry Ross as one of the steadiest and smartest astronauts in the agency. He was also one of the nicest! No matter who you were or what your job was, Jerry always took the time to express his appreciation for the work you were doing. Frankly, considering the pressures we were always under, I wondered what made Jerry so nice. Now that I’ve read his memoir, I know! Jerry Ross is the genuine article, a man of humble roots who decided to be the best he could be while never forgetting the lessons of honesty, integrity, and family he learned along the way. Great memoirs have to strike a balance between history, circumstance, purpose, and passion. By this or any standard, Spacewalker is a great memoir. Jerry tells his story straight from the heart, and it is a magnificent tale of courage and faith. If you liked Rocket Boys/October Sky , you’re going to love this book!”
–Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky and Crater

“This book is a must-read! Astronaut Jerry Ross has seen our Space Shuttle program from start to finish, and more. No other person has experienced the depth and breadth of the Space Shuttle intrigue as Jerry has. You will be inspired by the story of a young man chasing his dream … and achieving it many times over. You will be taken inside the private side of astronauts’ lives, as they train and fly their intense and risky missions. You will learn and remember the greatness of America’s Space Shuttle program. This story has all of it: the humor, the tragedy, the family view, the technical side, as well as Jerry’s personal perspective of our country’s great Space Shuttle program. There is no other book like this; it is a gem!”
–Eileen Collins, first woman to pilot and command US space missions
SPACEWALKER
MY JOURNEY IN SPACE AND FAITH AS NASA’S RECORD-SETTING FREQUENT FLYER
BY JERRY L. ROSS
WITH JOHN NORBERG
WITH A FOREWORD BY EUGENE CERNAN
Purdue University Press • West Lafayette, Indiana
Copyright 2013 Jerry L. Ross. First printing in paperback, 2017. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-55753-785-0
Ross, Jerry Lynn, 1948-
Spacewalker : my journey in space and faith as NASA’s record-setting frequent flyer / Jerry L. Ross with John Norberg.
     p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-55753-631-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-61249-232-2 (epdf) -- ISBN 978-1-61249-233-9 (epub) 1. Ross, Jerry Lynn, 1948- 2. Astronauts--United States--Biography. 3. Outer space--Exploration--United States. I. Norberg, John. II. Title. III. Title: My journey in space and faith as NASA’s record-setting frequent flyer.
TL789.85.R67R67 2013
629.450092--dc23
[B]
2012029105
W ith all of my love to Karen, our children Amy and Scott, and our beautiful granddaughters Cassidy, Katie, and Emily. May we all walk each day in God’s grace.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
Eugene A. Cernan
PROLOGUE
Jim Gentleman
ONE
Sputnik, a mouse, and blackberry pie
TWO
“Look to your left and look to your right”
THREE
“My daddy is an astronaut …”
FOUR
The no-names
FIVE
“Liftoff! We have liftoff!”
SIX
“Obviously a major malfunction”
SEVEN
Two more boarding passes
EIGHT
The John Young glass ceiling
NINE
“Lock the doors”
TEN
Blessed, happy, thankful … and surprised!
MY JOURNEY—A TIMELINE
STS-61B—ANATOMY OF A LAUNCH
INDEX
FOREWORD
I n the spring of 1961, I was a young US Navy officer when President John F. Kennedy challenged the people of the United States to look to the Moon. It changed my life.
But more than my life, it changed the nation. It changed all of us. It wasn’t just a call to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth. It was a challenge to show the world the strength, commitment, and capabilities of a united American people. It was a challenge to believe in ourselves and discover the unlimited potential within us to accomplish seemingly impossible goals. It was a challenge to our national spirit, a call to look upward and to dream.
We succeeded. In December of 1972, I stood on the dusty surface of the Moon, looked back at the blue ball that is our Earth, and became part of the realization of a dream that had been within people for all time.
I was the last Apollo astronaut to walk on the Moon, but America’s space program didn’t stop with Apollo. The Moon was never the end goal. The Moon was always the beginning. Reaching the Moon was just the first step in opening the universe to human exploration and understanding.
We have since flown a space vehicle capable of returning to Earth and going back into space again. From space, we have launched satellites, which bring communication and education to every corner of the world, helping to unite people everywhere. We have placed observatories in space that are seeing to the beginning of time, bringing humans new understanding as well as new mysteries to solve. We have worked in peace with other nations to build and operate an International Space Station. And we are still just at the beginning of this incredible journey.
NASA has led our nation and the world in the most exciting and productive fifty-five years of exploration in human history. Everywhere on this planet people know what NASA is and what it represents.
NASA is more than a space agency. It stands for the greatness that is America and the potential we have for even more. It represents to the world the best of human excellence, integrity, and innovation.
At times NASA has failed, and the results have been tragic. At those moments it would have been easy to quit, but we came together as a nation, learned from our mistakes, and sent NASA forward again to explore new and exciting possibilities.
Now we are at a crossroad. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle in the summer of 2011, NASA lacks clear goals. We are walking away from all that has been accomplished and leaving it for others to take the next giant leaps forward.
If America abdicates leadership in space, not only is human spaceflight and space exploration at risk, but I believe the future of this country and the future of our children and grandchildren are compromised as well. If we stop reaching into the unknown and in the process lose generations of acquired knowledge in space science, engineering, and technology, how will we regain what we’ve lost? Once abandoned, what will become of the American spirit to explore?
Accomplishments in space have inspired generations of young people to go farther in their lives than they ever dreamed possible. I talk to students often. They tell me that, even as we seem to have lost our direction in our goals for space exploration, they still want to visit Mars. They want to explore space, and they want to expand the boundaries of human knowledge. They want to go where no one else has gone and do things no one else has ever done before.
And they will. If we give them the tools—education, inspiration, and opportunity—if we pass the dream to them, this generation of Americans will take us farther than we have ever been, in space and here on Earth.
This is not just about space. It’s about us. It’s about our nation. It’s about what President Ronald Reagan called the shining city on a hill that is a beacon of hope for all the people of the world.
I have known Jerry Ross for many years, as an astronaut, a friend, and as a fellow alumnus of Purdue University. We’ve had many