I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book, subtitled “A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space” is by the author of “ Midnight in Chernobyl” and is a worthy follow-up. It tells the story of the NASA space program from the early days of manned space flight, leading to the Space Shuttle program and the Challenger disaster. Some major world events seem to need a decade or two of reflection before a complete and accurate accounting may be made. This seems to be the case with the Challenger disaster, a notable event in the history of American space missions. This is a story of the people involved and technology developed in these missions as well as the relationships between Government institutions, the military and private enterprise. All taking place in the media and public spotlight of the American public. The author takes us through the early days of NASA after the Second World War including many successful space missions as Kennedy’s vision of a manned Moon landing was fulfilled. Early in the book a previous NASA disaster is covered in some detail; the deaths of three astronauts during preparation for the first Apollo flight. This sets the scene or at least some of the background context of what is to come with the Challenger disaster. As the Apollo program prematurely ends, the author presents NASA’s direction in the 1970s. This is a fascinating story as near-earth space travel appears to become somewhat routine or at least less in the public eye compared to the glory of Apollo years. Many of the people involved from Apollo remain. However the Shuttle mission is quite different calling for new and reusable spacecraft with even more powerful booster engines. This new technology enables various missions, for scientific, commercial as well as military purposes. Many issues remain from the Apollo era. Funding, political will, contractor participation, safety issues, mission timetables and so on. Throughout the book, how these issues are addressed provides ominous signs leading towards the events the reader knows is coming. The technology, in particular those aspects that most contributed to the Challenger disaster, are presented in some detail. This is a key aspect of the book, and as in his previous book, the author does this with some success. Engineering and scientific complexities are presented in a clear, comprehensive and understandable manner. The author brings to life many of the names of the people involved in the Space Shuttle program. Some well known names, others lesser known. He adds richness and colour to these people who play roles on the ground in various NASA and contractor locations and of course in the Space Shuttle as crew. These people are heroic, courageous, brilliant and ambitious. But also human; flawed in ways that become clear leading up to the disaster and in the aftermath. The family members, particularly those of the astronauts, are portrayed with care and sensitivity, as well as honesty. The people surrounding and taking part in events are just as important to this story as the technology, engineering and equipment involved. In some ways perhaps, they are much more important. The accident could have been avoided if certain decisions, based on the data available, had been made before the fatal Challenger flight. The book also covers events following the disaster as issues around culture and organisation are addressed as well as equipment improved. Sadly, the Challenger disaster was followed by another Shuttle disaster some years later, which may indicate that organisation and culture, is just as crucial as technology when lives are at stake. Manned space travel is anything but routine; space is an unforgiving environment where unseen events may have fatal results. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, often seeking further information online when a particular person, issue or event left me wanting to know more. It is a moving story, one that I expect will remain with me for some time. This is a serious book, an important book and ultimately an uplifting book of courage and bravery. Given our times of increased exposure to space, plans for manned missions once again to the Moon and then Mars, one hopes that this book reaches a wide readership in the general public as well as those in public office, the military and related contractors. In particularI hope this book reaches those decision-makers responsible for the lives and safety of anyone placed in a potentially dangerous environment, on earth or in space. I wish the author well-deserved success with the publication of this book.

As compelling as the best fiction. Like 'Midnight in Chernobyl', I found 'Challenger' to be unputdownable.

A moving and powerful book, this is an in depth analysis of the cumulative history of NASA, space travel and the complicated story of the Space Shuttle.It is also the totally human story of the crew of Challenger and their families who lost so much on one devastating day in January 1986. The detail that Adam Higginbotham gives is amazing but also the way he writes is almost like a thriller, as he builds year by year, month by month, second by second to that final day and the shocking aftermath. He writes of NASA and associated companies (and it summed up the whole book for me)" Seduced by their own mythos, and blind to the subtleties of engineering complexity that none of them fully understood, the nation's smartest minds had unwittingly sent seven men and women to their deaths". I found myself moved and exasperated in equal measure, how clever and masterful we are to create such things but how devastatingly ordinary we can be when pressed for time and money and swamped in red tape. A masterful and riverting read.

For anyone deeply interested in NASA and all things space. This book is for you. If you want to know the reasons how and why the tragedy happened. Strap yourself in. You will be taken for a ride from the start and creation NASA all the way to the incident. I got as far as mid way and decided it really wasn’t what I was interested in. Alas. Fantastic research.