He has been present at many launches and has interviewed astronauts over a period of more than twenty years. He was also a witness to the loss of the Columbia space shuttle in February of 2003. On that date the space shuttle burned up on re-entry, the result of damage caused by a piece of foam that came loose at launch and pierced the heat resistant shield. Chien tells the story of this tragedy and profiles each of the seven crew members who were lost in Columbia: The Final Voyage.