{"product_id":"books-the-burning-blue-by-kevin-cook","title":"The Burning Blue","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the American Astronautical Society's 2021 Eugene M. Emme Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eThe untold story of a national trauma--NASA's \u003ci\u003eChallenger\u003c\/i\u003e explosion--and what really happened to America's Teacher in Space, illuminating the tragic cost of humanity setting its sight on the stars\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You've seen the pictures. You know what happened. Or do you?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e On January 28, 1986, NASA's space shuttle \u003ci\u003eChallenger\u003c\/i\u003e exploded after blasting off from Cape Canaveral. Christa McAuliffe, America's \"Teacher in Space,\" was instantly killed, along with the other six members of the mission. At least that's what most of us remember.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Kevin Cook tells us what really happened on that ill-fated, unforgettable day. He traces the pressures--leading from NASA to the White House--that triggered the fatal order to launch on an ice-cold Florida morning. Cook takes readers inside the shuttle for the agonizing minutes after the explosion, which the astronauts did indeed survive. He uncovers the errors and corner-cutting that led an overconfident space agency to launch a crew that had no chance to escape.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But this is more than a corrective to a now-dimming memory. Centering on McAuliffe, a charmingly down-to-earth civilian on the cusp of history, \u003ci\u003eThe Burning Blue\u003c\/i\u003e animates a colorful cast of characters: a pair of red-hot flyers at the shuttle's controls, the second female and first Jewish astronaut, the second Black astronaut, and the first Asian American and Buddhist in space. Drawing vivid portraits of Christa and the astronauts, Cook makes readers forget the fate they're hurtling toward. With drama, immediacy, and shocking surprises, he reveals the human price the \u003ci\u003eChallenger\u003c\/i\u003e crew and America paid for politics, capital-P Progress, and the national dream of \"reaching for the stars.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World of Books ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53510015615249,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781250755551.jpg?v=1778170344","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/products\/books-the-burning-blue-by-kevin-cook","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}