Final Countdown by Pat Duggins

Go behind the scenes of NASA's most visible program

"NPR journalist Duggins reviews the 25-year saga of the shuttle missions, some of which have been shrouded in mystery, as astronauts took secret military payloads into space; others received worldwide attention and acclaim, as when the Hubble Space Telescope was restored to 20-20 vision. . . . A worthy addition to the recent torrent of books about the American space program."--Publishers Weekly

"A story of lost dreams, new hopes, and the ongoing conquest of space."--Spaceflight

"Provides a very personal look at America's manned space program from a veteran reporter who has covered the shuttle's ups and downs for more than 20 years."--Bill Harwood, CBS News

"A refreshingly candid look at the U.S. space program at this crucial juncture. Duggins's enthusiasm for space flight enhances his ability to explore tough questions about NASA's ability to plan for its next giant leap."--David Brancaccio, Host of "NOW" on PBS

"Artfully merges excellent reporting with great writing to chronicle the highs and lows of the Space Shuttle program, along with rare astronaut anecdotes about what it's really like to fly to space and back."--Craig Covault, senior editor, Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine

In Final Countdown,Pat Duggins chronicles the milestones, the setbacks, the breakthroughs, and the breakdowns of the Space Shuttle program. His unfiltered perspective is that of a journalist, but his passion, evident on every page, is that of a space enthusiast who grew up just south of Kennedy Space Center.