Off the Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir (Paperback)

~ Jerry M. Linenger (Author) "YES, I ALWAYS WANTED to be an astronaut..." (more)
Key Phrases: base block module, docked phase, attitude control computer, Star City, Johnson Space Center, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Imagine yourself in a decaying space station far away from the atmosphere you never realized you needed so badly, not knowing if the next malfunction would kill you or merely keep you busy. Dr. Jerry M. Linenger experienced just this and describes his harrowing but ennobling five months aboard Mir in Off the Planet, a memoir that evokes the excitement of living every day as a life-threatening adventure. Linenger's very personal writing style draws the reader into the story quickly, breezing through his childhood, Annapolis training, medical school, and selection as an astronaut, then moving quickly to the Mir assignment and its aftermath.

Linenger isn't shy about sharing his opinions. Chapter titles like "Broken Trust" and "An Attempted Coverup" show his feelings about the bizarre relationship between the crew and mission control that may have kept him and his Russian comrades in constant danger. He also heaps praise on his fellow crew members and family for their strength and perseverance throughout the mission--between communication difficulties, the cloud of doubt surrounding the station's systems, and problems like fires and toxic fumes, it's a wonder anyone survived with their sanity intact. The full-color pictures accompanying the text add further insight into life aboard Mir. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'Off The Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir' by Jerry M. Linenger is one of the most readable. Off the Planet sheds new light on such present developments as the Russians' determination to continue the Mir after their repeated commitments to abandon it, combined with their commitments to the International Space Station. The book makes one think that perhaps the United States would be better off partnering in space with, say, Somalia or Lower Slobovia. Russian Psychologist, cure thyself and thy kindred. The Wahington Times 20000305 The author, a NASA astronaut, orbited the earth more than two thousand times in the space station Mir and became the first American to spacewalk outside a foreign spacecraft. But he paid a high price for these distinctions. Inside, Mir was as mess, and several power failures lefts its inhabitants in total darkness. Worst of all, Linenger reports, was the lack of professionalism among their Russian handlers. "Mission control in Moscow became our enemy rather than our friend." he writes, "our nemesis rather than our support structure." Mission control threatened to cut the Russian astronauts pay if they performed poorly, and dangled bonuses for doing well. And mission control's propensity to micromanage was so extreme that the astronauts had their every activity programmed down to the minute. The Washington Post Book World 20000214

'Off The Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard the Space Station Mir' by Jerry M. Linenger is one of the most readable. Off the Planet sheds new light on such present developments as the Russians' determination to continue the Mir after their repeated commitments to abandon it, combined with their commitments to the International Space Station. The book makes one think that perhaps the United States would be better off partnering in space with, say, Somalia or Lower Slobovia. Russian Psychologist, cure thyself and thy kindred. (The Wahington Times )

The author, a NASA astronaut, orbited the earth more than two thousand times in the space station Mir and became the first American to spacewalk outside a foreign spacecraft. But he paid a high price for these distinctions. Inside, Mir was as mess, and several power failures lefts its inhabitants in total darkness. Worst of all, Linenger reports, was the lack of professionalism among their Russian handlers. "Mission control in Moscow became our enemy rather than our friend." he writes, "our nemesis rather than our support structure." Mission control threatened to cut the Russian astronauts pay if they performed poorly, and dangled bonuses for doing well. And mission control's propensity to micromanage was so extreme that the astronauts had their every activity programmed down to the minute. (The Washington Post Book World ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007137230X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071372305
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #766,143 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Gen-X in space, or, Jerry Linenger as Super Ego!, January 17, 2001

By	"[e-mail]" (Maynard, MA USA) - See all my reviews

What is it with this guy? Perhaps the answer comes from Bryan Burrough's book, "Dragonfly"(a must-read, if only as an antidote), which yields a far more balanced view of this self-centered egomaniac. While in astronaut training, Linenger's colleagues dubbed him "Hollywood", a name he richly deserves.

No, seriously, I don't question that riding Mir for five months took some heavy stones -- but why no kiss-and-tell books from Linenger's unfortunate Mir-mates? One gets the feeling they wish he'd just go away.

Dangers in space? Well, duh!! Linenger wants it both ways - the "aw shucks, t'ain't nothin'" veneer of a Chuck Yeager, with the recognition of a rock star and our endless appreciation for his "daring". What on earth (pardon the pun) did he expect? An airbone Hilton like the movie 2001? Throughout his odyssey, Linenger adopts the attitude of "what's in it for me?" rather than trying to find ways to contribute to the success of the mission. Gen-x space.

During his five months in orbit, Linenger blew off his ground support crew, antagonized his colleagues, and managed to fully live up to the stereotype of "ugly American."

This book is an embarassment...it's no wonder NASA began distancing itself from Linenger the minute his shuttle flight home touched down. Arguably, other Mir visitors (Michael Foale, in particular) had even hairer moments -- but they've accepted it as part of a very risky job, and not used it as a springboard to stardom. Foale is still on flying status -- Linenger is not. 'Nuff said.

It's interesting to note that most of the truly heroic astronauts(John Young - first shuttle flight, two Apollo flights, Neil Armstrong - first moon walker, Story Musgrave - two Hubble missions, including the repair mission) have shunned the spotlight, while the hacks (Buzz Aldrin, the Ed McMahon of astronauts, and Linenger himself) have tried to trade starlight for limelight.

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ego trip, July 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Off The Planet: Surviving Five Perilous Months Aboard The Space Station MIR (Hardcover)

The book has some interesting anecdotes about life on Mir, but Linengers ego and continuous whining about the Russian space program makes this quite a challenging read. Not recommended - get Dragonfly.

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars How did his head fit into the helmut?, February 17, 2001

By	Jim Clark (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

It was all I could do to finish this book. I nearly stopped in the middle of the introduction because of the author's incessant egotistical blather. I have never read a more self aggrandizing biography in my life. I am sure that he is the only person interested in the number of doctoral degrees - honorary or otherwise - that he possesses or that he was good enough to win some medals and trophies in his age class in triathalons. Talk about an ugly American. In one breath he decries the abyssmal living conditions facing most Russian citizens and in the next he is complaining that the Russians had not completed his own "duplex" living quarters, palatial by comparison. It is no wonder he was not accepted by the Russians with open arms. Being an Astronaut, I always thought, was about accepting the enormous risks for the honor and thrill of it all and, as a by-product, making the world a better place. It certainly should not be to complain about the risks and then to try to line your own pockets. Obviously, astronauts need and do have healthy egos, but they should be inteligent enough to know how distasteful such an unmitigated display would appear in print. It is a wonder that they could find a helmet big enough to fit this guy