
Book Review: Return to Launch
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Casey Suire Title: Return to Launch: Florida and America’s Space Industry Author: Stephen C. Smith Format:
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Neil Armstrong somehow finds some time to practice landing on the Moon while he simultaneously spends 4,000 hours in the X-15. Real caption from NASA:...
“Viktor, did you know I did all of the vocal tracks for Thriller? Well, I did. That guy Michael Jackson is partying it up back...
NASA photo, March 13, 1969: “The Apollo 9 crewmen arrive aboard the USS Guadalcanal as they step from a helicopter to receive a red-carpet welcome....
1962 NASA photo: “Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. looks into a Celestial Training Device (globe) during training in the Aeromedical Laboratory at Cape Canaveral, Florida.”...
NASA photo, April 11, 1970: “Astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot for NASA’s third lunar landing mission, appears to be relaxing in the...
USAF Major Robert H. Lawrence in an undated LIFE photo. Lawrence’s life and career would leave resonances, despite both being cut painfully short. There...
NASA photo, July 18, 1966: “Agena Target Docking Vehicle 5005 is photographed from the Gemini 10 spacecraft during rendezvous in space. The docking adapter is...
NASA photo, Feb. 1974: “Scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot for the Skylab 4 mission, demonstrates the effects of zero-gravity as he sails through airlock...
Square-jawed Dr. Ed Gibson gets ready to upset some space journalists, NASA photo, Sept. 10, 1973: “Scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot for the third...
This year, the space community lost many notables, including Gene Cernan, Dick Gordon, and Paul Weitz (pictured aboard Skylab). NASA photo, June 1973: “Astronaut Paul...
Dr. Joseph Kerwin, Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr., and Paul Weitz, each sporting the mission patch designed by artist Frank Kelly Freas. 1973 NASA photo. A...
The Skylab 2 crew in happier times, NASA photo: “The three members of the prime crew of the first manned Skylab mission discuss their scheduled...

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Casey Suire Title: Return to Launch: Florida and America’s Space Industry Author: Stephen C. Smith Format:

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Dale Skran Title: Reality Check Authors: Brad Wieners and David Pescovitz Format: Paperback Pages: 161 Publisher:

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Mark Lardas Title: The Islands and the Stars: A History of Japan’s Space Programs Author: Subodhana Wijeyeratne Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Kindle

Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Casey Suire Title: Space Shock: 18 Threats That Will Define Space Power Authors: Peter A. Garretson
Category: Nonfiction Reviewed by: Casey Suire Title: Return to Launch: Florida and America’s Space Industry Author: Stephen C. Smith Format: Hardcover/Kindle Pages: 348 Publisher: University...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent NSS Managing Director of Membership More than half a century after the last Apollo astronauts left the Moon’s...
Now we must focus on continued forward-looking goals In the evening of April 10, the Artemis 2 mission concluded with a flawless reentry and splashdown...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Artemis II – By the Numbers Flight Day 10 — Friday, April 10, 2026 Status at Wake-Up The...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent THE FINAL FULL DAY IN SPACE Flight Day 9 – Almost Home On their last full day in...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent HEADING HOME Flight Day 8 in deep space The Artemis II crew began Flight Day 8 at 200,278...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Image: On the first shift during the lunar flyby observation period, the Artemis II crew captured more than...
By Burt Dicht NSS Space Coast Correspondent Artemis II Dashboard (as of 11:30 am EDT) THE HISTORIC LUNAR FLYBY Flight Day 6 in deep space...