Into the Black
Rowland White
<p>A book "no aviation buff will want to miss" (<i>The Wall Street Journal</i>) and "the perfect tale that educates as it entertains" (#1 bestselling author Clive Cussler), <i>Into the Black</i> recaptures the historic moments leading up to and the exciting story of the astronauts who flew the daring maiden flight of the space shuttle <i>Columbia</i>.<br>Using interviews, NASA oral histories, and recently declassified material, <i>Into the Black</i> pieces together the dramatic untold story of the <i>Columbia</i> mission and the brave people who dedicated themselves to help the United States succeed in the age of space exploration. On April 12, 1981, NASA's Space Shuttle <i>Columbia </i>blasted off from Cape Canaveral. It was the most advanced, state-of-the-art flying machine ever built, challenging the minds and imagination of America's top engineers and pilots. <i>Columbia</i> was the world's first real spaceship: a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, and capable of...</p>