Customer Reviews

Dragonfly: NASA And The Crisis Aboard Mir

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Brian Burrough's DRAGONFLY covers the entire "Phase One" program to put NASA astronauts aboard the Russian space station Mir in the mid 1990s. The project was fraught with problems and near-disasters, and it is an example of how not to conduct an international space partnership, or any other project, for that matter.

The book is well researched, and Burrough is not afraid to delve into the dark waters of NASA's bureaucracy to round out the story. He dug deep to interview many of the significant figures of the book, including the likes of astronaut Jerry Linenger, Phase One director Frank Culbertson, NASA administrator Dan Goldin, and NASA's Johnson Space Center director George Abbey. Almost no one comes off unsoiled, and yet the author treats each subject fairly. Burrough makes extensive use of American and Russian flight transcripts, and he takes care to document the stressful lives of Russian cosmonauts, who are severely overworked and underappreciated. The author's narrative and reconstructed dialogue are well written, and he always allows the story and the people, rather than commentaries, to propel the book. I think Burrough achieves a good balance in presenting the material, which must have been difficult given the myriad personalities and politics involved.

However, I was disappointed in the choppy layout of DRAGONFLY's major sections. Burrough takes a hundred pages to outline the beginnings of Phase One and its troubles from 1992 to 1997 ... the problem is, this critical background is actually Part Two, and it appears in the middle of the book, which interrupts the tumultuous events of 1997. By that point, this section does the reader little good, because we are already up to our ears in Phase One's trials and tribulations. As I was reading, I couldn't help but ask myself repeatedly, "Why am I reading this now?" Phase One's dysfunctional operation in Russia and its harried, undersupported astronauts Shannon Lucid, Bonnie Dunbar and Norm Thagard provide an ominous prologue to later events. But Burrough's failure to present these stories at the book's outset only serves to downplay their significance while disrupting the natural line of the story, and that's a shame.

Fortunately, that's the only significant criticism this book deserves from an outsider. DRAGONFLY is a landmark space history book by an author who has certainly done his legwork. Future space projects can learn a lot from Phase One's missteps, and DRAGONFLY provides a full accounting of those events. This illuminates the space business like no other account before it, and I think space history is better off because of it.

(My last comment goes to the publishers at Harper Perennial: Whoever decided to display a 1965-era photo of a Gemini spacewalker on the cover of this trade paperback set in the late 1990s ought to be fired for incompetence. I might as well write a book about the Persian Gulf War and put Audie Murphy on the cover.)

What sets "Dragonfly" off from so many other books about space exploration is that the author understands that technology, unlike space, does not exist in a vaccuum. Like few other authors on the subject, Burrough realizes that complex technical systems, like Mir, interact with the variables of human personality, cultural background of the astronauts/cosmonauts, and indeed, the 'culture' which imbues organizations like Nasa and Energia.

This book is totally absorbing, and I agree completely with the comment that it makes the reader feel, at times, as though he or she is actually aboard the Mir. In fact,"Dragonfly" should be required reading for ALL personnel who will be involved with the International Space Station. The author is right on target when he predicts that such a project will experience inevitable crises, and that how these are responded to will depend as much upon *human* as technological understanding.

Finally, I must put in the supportive words for cosmonauts Tsibliyev and Lazutkin. These cosomonauts were heroes, facing and overcoming difficulties much greater than those encountered by Glenn and Gagarin. They deserved far better treatment upon return from Mir than being blamed for circumstances beyond their control. This book shows how much courage and ingenuity these men really had -- and that their safe return to earth and the saving of the Mir was due to their brave efforts. After reading "Dragonfly," I have the deepest respect for the leadership of Tsibliyev and Lazutkin. I hope they are given a chance to go to the new ISS -- their experience would be invaluable!

Some books about the space program are straightforward histories (Burrows' This New Ocean), others get more personal but tend to be a bit on the rah-rah side (Chaikin's A Man on the Moon), but a few really peel the cover off and show some of the ugliness beneath. This is one of those and possibly one of the most brutal books about the space program since the ones about the Challenger disaster.

I'm not saying this is the best possible approach, but it does provide a counterpoint to the coverage that tends to put NASA above criticism.

Burrough contends that the entire Mir program was as much politics as practicality: an effort to engage the Russians and to end the mistrust held over from the Cold War. While a worthy cause, this attitude tended to brush aside any pragmatic concerns such as the astronauts' safety while on board Mir.

The coverage itself is largely chronological if someone out of order: it begins with Jerry Linenger's stint onboard Mir in early 1997, which includes the onboard fire, backs up to the development of the program and the first astronauts to go up, then concludes with Michael Foale's tour of duty in mid-1997 and the near-disastrous collision with the Progress supply craft. (I don't know why most books these days seem unable to maintain a straightforward chronology--I find the alternatives more confusing than helpful.)

Anyhow, the book is largely a detailed story of what went on during each period of time, though with background and personality profiles interspersed. The profiles are particularly biting: Jerry Linenger is depicted with a total "what's in it for me?" attitude, Bonnie Dunbar has a massive feminist chip on her shoulder, and George Abbey, the director of the Johnson Space Center and arguably the most powerful man in NASA (administrator Goldin notwithstanding) is depicted as secretive, Machiavellian, and continually playing favorites. And that's just a few of them. However, all of these depictions seem to have a clear basis in fact. Burrough's reporting is clearly very thorough: he interviewed many of those he profiled and many associated with them. He provides extensive transcripts of communications with the ground to back up his statements.

The two key disasters aboard Mir, the fire and the collision, are depicted in excruciating, second-by-second detail, reconstructed based on transcripts, interviews, and official reports. The book also provides insight into the Russian space program, which is different in significant ways from the American one, better in some ways and worse in others. A thematic image is a poster in one of the Russian facilities, showing the cosmonauts as puppets on strings held by the ground team. Cosmonauts are also driven by cash bonuses given for particular activities and fines for failures, an incentive approach that leads them to avoid reporting problems except when they have no choice. On the other hand, the Russians, with their extensive space station experience, show an admirable ability in coping with problems where the Americans, more used to short-duration missions, would simply cut the flight short and come on home a few days early. I should mention that the book provides as a sidelight how Dan Goldin, previously an obscure senior manager at TRW, was tapped for the job as NASA administrator.

All in all, it's an insightful if disquieting read. It provides a clear, detailed view into the American and Russian program to share Mir as a precursor to the International Space Station. It also provides a much better understanding into how NASA works today. Unfortunately, it is not always a pretty sight.

...it's being micro-managed and mismanaged right out of existence by politicians, bureaucrats and opportunists. While that may not be big news, through Burroughs' book, we can now put a name to these previously-nameless NASA parasites: George Abbey, Mark Albrecht, Dan Goldin...just to name a few who aren't in Congress.

What struck me throughout this book is the courage, tenacity and intelligence of the men and women in NASA who, in spite of total lack of support, or worse, interference from, their politically-motivated managers, were able to pull off the Mir missions.

I was also profoundly moved by the Russians' efforts to maintain their space program and their space station. This book corrected a lot of mis-impressions I'd had about their program. Yes, they take many more chances than NASA would ever contemplate, their equipment is old and falling apart. They are, however, the only program that has sucessfully maintained a long-lived station in space and they are the only humans with any experience in long-duration space flight. We have MUCH to learn from them. And they from us...

This book leaves me in doubt as to whether the two space programs will indeed be allowed to profit from each others' experience. The Russian's money problems (which, as this book shows was a driving force behind the politically-inspired Phase One operation) and NASA's phalanx of self-centered, uninspired, non-technical management lead me to believe that if anything is accomplished it will only be through the individual efforts and dedication of the "rank and file" -- and that includes the astronauts.

This book explained a lot for me: why my brother-in-law (who trains astronauts), once so purely, beautifully excited with just being a part of NASA, drags himself to work now; and why my husband, part of the initial tests ont he shuttle program when it started so many years ago, quit in disgust.

NASA and the Russian space agency are still full of the brightest, most inspired, intelligent and motivated people the two countries have. (After reading this book, that's the only explanation I can come up with for the "success" of the Phase One program.)

But unless we get the George Abbeys, and the Dan Goldins and the Hill Rats from Washington out of the equation, space exploration is doomed.

The Right Stuff Revisited: When Egos Collide "Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir" by Bryan Burrough

Book review by Keith Cowing, Editor, NASA Watch...

"Can't we just get along?" asked Rodney King amid the L.A. Riots. As you become engulfed in the portrayal of the Shuttle-Mir program outlined in this book, you half expect someone to jump up and say exactly the same thing.

This book chronicles the lives of the people who endeavored to make the Shuttle-Mir program work. It sweeps through the lives of those who stayed behind as well as those who went to Mir. In so doing, the author has managed to weave a series of interviews, news reports, air-to-ground transmissions, and Congressional testimony into a compelling story - one which is hard to put down. The author is so adept at his craft that you often get the feeling that he is recollecting events instead of re-telling them. That alone makes this book worth reading.

If there is one message this book leaves with the reader it is that technology is not the main challenge to space exploration today. Rather, it is the human factor. It is about the ability (or lack thereof) of people to get along with each other - and to be honest with each other in their working relationships. It is also about the awful consequences of not considering the human element of space operations i.e. depressed, isolated, over-worked, and scared people make mistakes. And finally, it is about the collision of culture and politics in the final frontier and the consequences that result when technical decisions are made for political reasons and political decisions are made for technical reasons.

Strangely enough, throughout this book, one of the few people who come across as having any real grasp of what was broke amidst the human element on Earth or in space - or how to fix the situation - was Al Holland, Johnson Space Center's chief psychologist. Holland is portrayed as doing his best to help everyone cope - even when his help (and the obvious problems he cites) was not always welcome.

What is truly astonishing is how ill prepared both America and Russia were to implement the Shuttle-Mir program. As the book unfolds it becomes painfully clear how little America knew about Russian spacecraft or operations and how misinformed Russia was about the expectations NASA had for their $400 million payment. As such, both countries rushed head on to make the agreement work and immediately encountered problems.

All of the familiar faces appear in this book - the astronauts, the NASA managers, and the politicians. But there are also people portrayed in this book that the general public has never heard of. Perhaps the most interesting is Johnson Space Center Director George Abbey whom Burrough describes:

"Abbey is regarded by many as the J. Edgar Hoover of NASA, a mysterious figure shrouded in myth and legend. Astronauts whisper about the file he is said to keep on every center employee. A thick green binder he totes to meetings is regarded as a source of secrets on a par with Pandora's box. Among the astronauts and the hundreds who support them, it is axiomatic that it is Abbey who actually runs NASA, not the bubbly Administrator Daniel S. Goldin who spends his days in far-off Washington glad-handing politicians and flattering the poor, hapless Russians&Scaro;b."

As Burrough weaves his tale, the pervasive power held by Abbey, one that can easily extend off of this planet, becomes eerily evident. This man who is almost unknown outside of Houston, much less NASA, is shown to have deftly exerted his interests in the White House as well as among the Astronaut corps. Much of what NASA does - and how it does it - clearly relates back to George Abbey's vision of how things should be done. Abbey's influence within NASA is so pervasive that Burrough quotes former NASA Administrator and astronaut Dick Truly as saying "The real book about manned space program would be a book about George Abbey". The extraordinary efforts taken by some to stay in Abbey's good graces, and the career limiting consequences of straying from his wishes, are chronicled in detail never before published. This information alone is reason to recommend this book to anyone interested in how NASA really works.

As other individuals enter the picture, Dan Goldin, Yuri Koptev, politicians, the crews, etc. it becomes painfully obvious that so many of the problems associated with the relationship between America and Russia come down to one simple factor: human ego. These egos all fuel private agendas which are not always in synchrony with those of their superiors - or their new found partners. Yet everyone is duty bound to make things work with orders issued from above. Small wonder that the Shuttle-Mir program, and the International Space Program growing up in parallel, are beset with such constant turmoil.

Just as spacecraft collide in this book, so do cultures. The Russians are seen by many Americans as brutish, sexist, and in some extreme cases downright uncaring. Indeed, Burrough quotes Jim Van Laak, Frank Culbertson's deputy as saying that "the Russians simply don't place as high a premium on human life as we do". The Russians are often cited as seeing more than their share of the "ugly American" syndrome wherein NASA folks show up on Russian soil expecting all of the comforts of home and acting as the senior partner in the Shuttle Mir endeavor by virtue of having paid for services.

One of the key problems fueling this cultural collision is language. Again and again this book shows that the better one's ability to speak Russian, the better the communication. The better the communication, the more one comes to understand the culture. And while this cultural understanding may not result in acceptance, it certainly arms one with the ability to adapt to the culture. Those Americans and Russians who took the time to understand the other derived clear benefit. Those who did not came to regret the situation.

Rifts between individuals from the same country were common, often with language at the heart of the problem. According to Burrough, there were periods of time when astronauts Norm Thagard and Bonnie Dunbar would not even talk to each other even thought they sat side by side in classes in Star City. Thagard did well with his good Russian, derived from lessons he paid for when NASA refused to. Dunbar's skills were lacking and she relied on Thagard to translate her classes for her. When they stopped talking to each other, Dunbar lost her interpreter. Hardly the best way to facilitate learning.

Chronic turmoil within the Mir crews is portrayed with multiple incidences cited wherein Americans and Russians don't even speak or share meals with one another for long periods of time. Lack of language skills by some astronauts caused these situations to worsen. These human problems are exacerbated when life-threatening collisions, fires, and life support failures push crews to the limit.

There was more to the culture clash than just language. How both countries actually "do" space operations is wholly different. The American approach is to give crews considerable on-orbit autonomy with a strong safety net of support on the ground. The Russian approach places the crew subordinate to ground control on almost every issue but expects the crew to figure things out on their own once given instructions. The Russian approach has allowed the cosmonaut corps to become very adept at seat of the pants repairs while Americans are portrayed as depending on books to get them out of a repair situation. Although not mentioned in this book, I can recall hearing a JSC scientist presenting the contrast as follows: "Americans are astonished at how much information is in one Russian's head while Russians are astonished at how much paper an American needs to go through to get a simple answer."

Since these two approaches tend to encourage opposite modes of behavior within space crews, the addition of politics, accidents, and egos often leads to some truly dysfunctional space exploration. What is astonishing to me is how these people risked their lives in space on numerous occasions and yet, their experiences and needs were utterly unappreciated - or even deliberately ignored by ground personnel. Some fault must be placed on the crew who are portrayed as often trying to limit the amount of bad news beamed down from space.

Despite the abundant chronicling of human weaknesses, there is abundant heroism portrayed in this book too. And it is clearly demonstrated by the crews of Mir as they deal with the collision and the fire and the immense amount of cobbling together of broken life support systems. There is also a heroic spirit evidenced among many of the folks in the trenches trying to implement often impossible tasks keeping their eye on the prize as they do.

As the book closes, Burrough cites a complaint I have heard all too often. Despite all of the public pronouncements that lessons learned about Mir will benefit the International Space Station program.

They say that fact is better than fiction, this story certainly bears that out. In a country where we expect perfection of our space program, this story came as a revelation. The bravely of the men and women who fly the MIR is simply incredible. In an outdated station falling apart around them the differences between the American and Russian ways of conducting business is highlighted. One is left after reading the book to wonder if such diametrical attitudes can coexist on the International Space Station. Dragonfly is one of the best books on the space program I have read. It goes beyond the surface and left me with a fuller understanding of both the Russian and US space programs than I had previously held.

NASA these days is nothing like what I expected. I thought an astronaut had to have balls. You know, as in courageous. Apparently that is no longer the case. NASA is now just another bureaucratic monstrosity that is more about paperwork and kissing butt than exploring outer space. I read in despair about how everyone must act like a little girl if they want to fly into space. That is, they must be cute, pretty, obedient little cyphers. They must have a half dozen college degrees and have a clean record that reveals a predictable, risk-adverse character. They must also get on the good side of some fat bureaucrat who is in charge of the place. Yes, Abbey, I'm talking about you, you fat henpecked b*tch.

No wonder NASA is no longer breaking ground with its manned missions. It is now run like a freakin' accounting firm, complete with effeminate sissies who pass for men and plenty of loud-mouthed spoiled brats who enjoy being women.

This is an excellent, informative book, and I ate it up. And it is no wonder that space exploration has stagnated in the past 30 years. Every successful company needs to be initiated by a strong man with balls. But down the road, it is inevitable that the women move in and make everything complicated. Rules are made, rules are made, rules are made, etc. Layer after arbitrary layer. Risk is abhored and chased away. Then you end up with today's NASA, where a character like Abbey must have his butt kissed if a man wishes to ride the space shuttle. What ever happened to daring? Why do we let the soccer moms take charge and mess it all up???

This book lets you in on everything that happened out of the sight of the common press. It is truly astonishing what had to be overcome to get as far as we did with the Mir/Shuttle projects and have with the new ISS. Without this book, a casual observer would never imagine what happened on the Mir, in Star City, even at NASA itself. Highly facinating: the innerworkings of the space agencies, the politics behind the decisions, the personal struggles the astronauts and cosmonauts alike had to overcome... This work just makes me even more interested in the space program. And hopefully, it will be around longer than me.

There are times where fact is scarier than fiction. This book proves it.

Burroughs's book is gossipy, sometimes even catty, but at the same time one must admire its even-handedness. At one time or another, everyone looks like a jerk, and every policy is criticized.

Despite its negative tone, however -- it focuses on everybody in the NASA/Mir Phase One program's criticisms of everyone else -- Dragonfly is very credible. It is exhaustively researched and comprehensive, and by airing everyone's complaints Buroughs heads off accusations of bias. This gives Burroughs's conclusions about the program greater authority.

Most importantly, Burroughs is an engaging writer, and the subject matter is exciting. His narratives of the fire aboard Mir and its later decompression emergency are thrilling enough, and the information he gives us about the Russian/US space partnership is interesting enough, that Dragonfly is well worth reading even with its occasional descents into scandal-mongering.

It is said that truth is better than the best fiction. Bryan Burrough's "Dragonfly" proves that it's true. A blow-by-blow account of the Shuttle/Mir missions, "Dragonfly" roars along like a Tom Clancy thriller. We meet bumbling politicians, Machiavellian NASA administrators, egotistic astronauts, martyred cosmonauts, and clueless ground-support crews, American and Russian alike. Parenthetically, it's a wonderful comparison of the cultures of these space superpowers, and why International Space Station missions may have some built-in psychological risks.

(Aside: considering the top-heavy committment and involvement of the United States, the "international" space station is about as "international" as an International House of Pancakes.)

A must-read for anyone interested in space exploration. Especially a must-read for anyone unfortunate enough to have paid money for astronaut Jerry Linenger's book, "Off the Earth -- Surviving five perilous months aboard Mir." The reader may judge for himself the "peril" involved, especially in light of the dangers faced by Linenger's successor on Mir, astronaut Michael Foale.

If anything, Burrough is perhaps too balanced and fair-minded in his prose. One suspects he had reams of material he couldn't use, as it would make the book more of a "kiss-and-tell" than it actually is. Nevertheless, some of the finest reporting about NASA (and public policy as a whole) in years.