CONTENTS

PROLOGUE A SCIENCE FICTION MONSTER

Part One I Want to Grow Up to Be Spider-Man

1 A PERFECT GOOD

2 MOST ALL-AROUND

3 WHO YOU GONNA GET?

Part Two Maybe You’re Not Cut Out for This

4 THE SMART-KID OLYMPICS

5 FORCE FEEDBACK

6 HUMAN FACTORS

7 DISQUALIFIED

8 YES OR NO

Part Three The Real Right Stuff

9 THERE’S MACH 1

10 IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

11 SPACEWALKER

12 SHACKLETON MODE

Part Four The Door to Space

13 SEEING BEYOND THE STARS

14 READY TO GO

15 WEIGHTLESS

16 EARTH IS A PLANET

17 MAYBE THIS IS HEAVEN

Part Five Russian Roulette

18 THE STORY OF SPACE

19 FEBRUARY 1, 2003

20 WHY WE GO

Part Six Worth the Risk

21 FROM THE ASHES

22 ONE LAST JOB

23 LINE 28

24 GROUNDED

EPILOGUE AROUND THE NEXT CORNER

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR