Publication date: October 17, 2017
A stunning memoir from the astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station–a candid account of his remarkable voyage, of the journeys off the planet that preceded it, and of his colorful formative years.
The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly inimical to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of depressurization or colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home–an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on another mission, his twin brother’s wife, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space. Kelly’s humanity, compassion, humor, and passion resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging step in American spaceflight. A natural storyteller and modern-day hero, Kelly has a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come. Here, in his personal story, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy.
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Yes, I know, you are SHOCKED and STUNNED. I actually read something without a half-naked man on the cover clutching a gun! This is actually one I wanted to read, and I was given the opportunity by Bookish First and Knopf to receive a copy for review, so I jumped at the chance. The chapter sample was intriguing, though I do have one beef-I’m still waiting to understand what the medical issue was that he experienced after his return from his stint on the ISS! (And how long did it take to resolve?!)
Endurance jumps back and forth in time, beginning with the time leading up to his departure from Russia on the Soyuz spacecraft and then back and forth between his childhood and adulthood. One thing I find fascinating about his story is the fact that he wasn’t a great student to begin with, as one would assume that a Navy fighter pilot and astronaut would have always been the top of his or her class. Yet it wasn’t until he read ‘The Right Stuff’ by Tom Wolfe as a college student that he decided on what he wanted for his future. (We’re talking about a guy that mistakenly applied to the wrong college!) Yet not only did he focus on his dream, he achieved it and became an F-14 Tomcat pilot, a test pilot at Pax River and an astronaut on the shuttle and the ISS. This determination came in part from watching his mother achieve her dream of becoming the first female police officer in their hometown of West Orange, NJ.
The details of life on the space station are fascinating, some are things that I had never even considered. If the toilets break down, they would have to leave. Trash sometimes has to be smuggled off. Things can go missing for years if they are not properly stored or attached. They don’t eat what we here planet-bound call ‘astronaut ice cream’ but obviously the quantity and variety of food is limited. (Treats are savored and usually shared, but not always. A certain sandwich incident comes to mind!) And the heartbreak of being so far from friends and family when the worst happens.
Scott’s relationship with his twin brother Mark is a big part of the book. Most people know Mark from the aftermath of his wife Gabby Giffords being shot in the head in an assassination attempt. (This occurred while on his first extended stay on the ISS, and for hours he was unsure of her fate including at one point mission control telling him that she had reportedly died.) But there is of course a whole lifetime together, including the time Mark was hit by a car while crossing the street because he wouldn’t follow their mother’s admonition to cross at the corner. (Oddly Scott was obeying!) Eventually the brothers volunteer as test subjects to compare their physiology and DNA after Scott’s year on the ISS, especially the effects of solar radiation.
For me, some of the most interesting (and in some cases heartbreaking) mentions are other people who are a part of his story. Three of his fellow astronaut training classmates died on the Columbia; Laurel Clark, Willie McCool and Dave Brown. (Due to an errant foam strike to the forward wing, the shuttle broke up on re-entry.) Both Scott and Mark were part of the search for the remains of the shuttle and her crew in Texas. While he was a test pilot, he investigated the death of Lt. Kara Hultgreen, one of the first women qualified to fly an F-14 who died in an accident while readying to land on the carrier Abraham Lincoln. Scott was also the pilot who tested a modification to the flight control system that would have probably saved her life if it hadn’t been delayed. And then there’s Lisa Nowak, who was also in his training class but is best known as the astronaut who attempted to kidnap her rival for the affections of another astronaut. (I will admit to wishing he had mentioned that incident in the book!)
I would definitely recommend this book for others who are interested in the history of space travel and those among us who take the risk. It was a fascinating look at his life and the challenges and triumphs he’s experienced along the way!