Beyond the Saga of Rocket Science

In Space To Stay, the third book in the Beyond the Saga of Rocket Science series, describes the enormously expensive aerospace systems developed on both sides of the Iron Curtain as the Cold War against the Soviet Union progressed. On the military side, these included little-publicized competing military space stations, a plethora of space planes, and dual-use military/civilian space launch systems and space shuttles-notably the U.S. Space Shuttle and its twin brother the Soviet Union's Buran. The book provides an enthralling behind-the-scenes look at the Moon Race, this time from the United States point of view. In the decades since, both Russia and the U.S. have continued building many space systems, including today's permanently inhabited International Space Station. This book also describes the difficulties that plague rocket development--not just the technical aspects, but the politics, pernicious federal budgeting and funding, the lack of vision and consensus, and public apathy that stymied the post-Apollo space program.