by Mike Mullane
My family at the astronaut beach house in late February 1990, prior to my last mission, STS-36. Donna and I stand in the middle. My mom and our youngest daughter, Laura, stand at my right. Our twins, Patrick and Amy, stand at Donna’s left. My dad passed away in 1988.
On the drive back from an STS-36 launch scrub, I hold my pressure-suit neck ring open for a flow of cooling air to escape. I forced the smile. Mission scrubs were always a crushing disappointment…and I had six of them.
The STS-36 (February 28–March 4, 1990) in-space crew photo.From left to right: Commander John “J.O.” Creighton and Mission Specialist Dave Hilmers. I’m floating in the middle. Next are Mission Specialist Pierre “Pepe” Thuot and Pilot John Casper.
Donna and I meet the Bushes in the Oval Office, May 1990. While leading us on a tour of the White House, Mrs. Bush displayed a hilarious one-of-the-guys sense of humor.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1. Bowels and Brains
2. Adventure
3. Polio
4. Sputnik
5. Selection
6. The Space Shuttle
7. Arrested Development
8. Welcome
9. Babes and Booze
10. Temples of History
11. The F***ing New Guys
12. Speed
13. Training
14. Adventures in Public Speaking
15. Columbia
16. Pecking Order
17. Prime Crew
18. Donna
19. Abort
20. MECO
21. Orbit
22. Coming to America
23. Astronaut Wings
24. Part-time Astronauts
25. The Golden Age
26. Challenger
27. Castle Intrigue
28. Falling
29. Change
30. Mission Assignment
31. God Falls
32. Swine Flight
33. Classified Work
34. “No reason to die all tensed up”
35. Riding a Meteor
36. Christie and Annette
37. Widows
38. “I have no plans past MECO”
39. Holding at Nine and Hurting
40. Last Orbits
41. The White House
42. Journey’s End
Epilogue
Glossary