Columbia: Final Voyage [Hardcover]

Philip Chien (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387271481 | ISBN-13: 978-0387271484 | Publication Date: January 23, 2006 | Edition: 1

In ‘Columbia: Final Voyage’ aerospace writer Philip Chien, who has over 20 years’ experience covering the US space program, provides a unique insight into the crew members who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster. Chien interviewed all seven crew members several times and got to know them as individuals. He reviews in detail their training, their scientific work and other activities during their successful 16-day flight, the background of the accident itself and a detailed first-hand account of what happened that fateful day in February 2003. The author provides a comprehensive and personal look at both the Columbia astronauts and the STS-107 mission, together with a behind-the-scenes account of other people involved in the mission and their personal reactions to the accident. Forward by Jonathan B. Clark, widower of Columbia astronaut Laurel Clark Introduction by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: In terms of explaining the mission itself, Columbia—Final Voyage is unparalleled, and unlikely to be equaled[.] —Jeff Foust, The Space Review, February 20, 2006   The research, when combined with interviews with family, colleagues and scientists, results in what may be the most detailed account that will ever be written about what happened in space during the mission. —John Kelly, Florida Today: Space & Science, February 15, 2006 "Philip Chien in his book Columbia Final Voyage brings a comprehensive, personal, view of the most recent shuttle disaster. … Chien’s review provides plenty of interest … . Included are the experiments, with the identities and expectations of the principal investigators. … In total, he’s produced a warm memorial both for the people and the mission. … the book is an excellent source for someone wanting to relieve this mission or to reflect on the nature of the people involved or on people in general." (Mark Mortimer, Universe Today, April, 2006)

About the Author

Philip Chien is a full-time space journalist. Over the last twenty years, he has covered over a hundred Shuttle launches. His reports have appeared on CNN, in Popular Science, Time and in the Jerusalem Post, among other venues.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (January 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387271481
• ISBN-13: 978-0387271484
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,684,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Be wary, August 31, 2006

By 

Dwayne A. Day (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Columbia: Final Voyage (Hardcover)

I worked on the Columbia accident investigation as an investigator and have read several of the accounts of the accident and the following investigation. William Langewiesche's article in the November 2003 Atlantic Monthly was very good. Cabbage and Harwood's book Comm Check is also a good account of this subject. I was wary that Philip Chien could add anything significant to this story simply because it has been well covered. Now I and others have a much greater reason to be wary: the author's actions in the spring and summer of 2006.

It was obvious that around the time of the release of this book Chien was posting pseudonymous reviews of it on the Internet singing its praises. These reviews usually bragged that Chien was one of only a handful of reporters who were actively covering the flight and also bragged that this book contained information that had not been previously published. Both of these claims were misleading and exaggerated. But the fact that an author was using aliases to praise his own work was underhanded. Now that Wired Magazine online has fired Chien for making up quotes and sources in space news stories that he was writing for them (you can easily Google that story, as well as links to some of his pseudonymous "reviews" of his own book), anybody who reads this book should be forewarned that the author has a track record of deception.

In fact, it might be worthwhile for somebody to go through this book with a fine toothcomb and check the sources and quotes. It would not surprise me if some of the same deceptive practices that got the author in trouble with Wired also occur in this book. Considering that there are better books and articles available--from reputable reporters--your best bet is to avoid this book.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Perspective, March 5, 2006

By 

Millie Hughes-fulford (Mill Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Columbia: Final Voyage (Hardcover)

This is a great read about the inside workings of NASA and the crews. Philip Chien is knowledgeable, accurate and well grounded in the details of the STS-107 mission.

This is the first book of its kind since it tells the whole story with inside knowledge of the people, process and manifest of Shuttle Columbia's last flight. Very few people know more about the Shuttle program than Philip Chien.

I have been a space enthusiast since I was 5 and have followed the NASA program from the early days of Mercury. This book has a wealth of information about the people, about the science and about the crew.


The Wall Street Journal needs to read this book and then retract its statement about " no good science onboard" published just days after the loss of Columbia and her crew.

Everyone who has an interest in the Space Program should buy a copy and read it!

Millie Hughes-Fulford, Ph.D.
Professor and Medical Investigator
Columbia Astronaut STS-40

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fitting Tribute to the Columbia Crew, March 19, 2006

By 

Robert A. Robinson (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Columbia: Final Voyage (Hardcover)

To those of us on the flight control team at the JSC POCC during the Columbia tragedy, there were no words to convey our shock and sadness when the Shuttle failed to complete the final descent to Florida and broke up over the Deep East Texas Piney Woods region just north of Houston. This book is a fitting tribute to the courageous Columbia crew, returning home after a successful science mission with few technical problems on the newly outfitted SPACEHAB double module.

As indicated in the book synopsis, Phillip Chien captures the human side of the Columbia astronauts with whom the team worked so long preparing for the mission. He recounts personal details from interviews and research during the pre-flight period before flight, along with individual and group cameos throughout the mission.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in the human side of the space program, the long preparation that the crew practices to ready themselves for all mission tasks, their natural thrills within the low gravity environment and unique viewing perspective, and the every present danger associated with spaceflight. The author provides a compelling case for why the world must continue preparation and commitment to space exploration beyond near earth orbit, with even greater focus on protecting the fragile transport vessel and the astronauts within.