Red Star In Orbit

Describes the Russian space program, telling of unpublicized disasters as well as recent successes.

An insider's view into the U.S.-Russian space program In Star-Crossed Orbits, space veteran and bestselling author James Oberg combines riveting personal memoir with top-notch investigative journalism to tell the complete untold story of the U.S.-Russian space alliance. With unparalleled access to official Russian archives, facilities, and key individuals associated with the Russian space program, he describes the strengths and weaknesses that each side of the alliance brings to the table. And he reveals for the first time the full story of Russia's decaying space program and how it ultimately was saved from collapse by Western funds. Praise for Star Crossed Orbits: "A unique background and base of experience underlies this remarkable book by Jim Oberg. It is must reading for anyone who wishes to understand the culture with which one must deal when attempting to cooperate with Russia or counter its initiatives, whether peaceful or otherwise. Times change with the clock." --Dr. H.H. 'Jack' Schmitt, Apollo moon walker, US Senator "Jim Oberg's new book is an absolute must read for those who have followed the first decades of the human exploration of space. He reveals all sorts of insider information on all sides of the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, later Russia, as they attempted to forge a successful partnership in space. . . Don't miss this one!" --Admiral Richard Truly, Space Shuttle Astronaut and former NASA Administrator "[Star-Crossed Orbits] is a great piece of investigative journalism. [Its] detailed, comprehensive and well documented description of the political environment that shaped the International Space Station is a service to NASA and the nation. . . [This] book is a must read for program managers, engineers and scientists engaged in present and future projects with Russia." --Gene Kranz, Apollo Flight Director, author of 'Failure is Not An Option' "Finally, someone is telling it like it is about the Russian manned space programthe good, the bad and the ugly. The Russians pulled the wool over our eyes for decades. It continues even today, only now America is paying for it. I have relied on Jim for years because no one knows it or tells it like he does." --Walter Cunningham, Apollo VII Astronaut (first manned Apollo mission) "In this reasoned indictment, James Oberg reveals the self-delusional and cynically deceptive deals in which the US allowed Russia to be a controlling partner in constructing the International Space station. He details the terrible cost in time, national treasure and integrity that this causedand how, despite these self-inflicted barriers, America's much-maligned space workers successfully built it anyway." --Frederick C. Durant III, Former Assistant Director, National Air and Space Museum

“An Earth-man’s journey to the planet Mars, where he is treated to a wondrous vision of a communist future, complete with flying cars and 3D color movies.” —Wonders & Marvels A communist society on Mars, the Russian revolution, and class struggle on two planets is the subject of this arresting science fiction novel by Alexander Bogdanov (1873–1928), one of the early organizers and prophets of the Russian Bolshevik party. The red star is Mars, but it is also the dream set to paper of the society that could emerge on earth after the dual victory of the socialist and scientific-technical revolutions. While portraying a harmonious and rational socialist society, Bogdanov sketches out the problems that will face industrialized nations, whether socialist or capitalist. “[A] surprisingly moving story.” —The New Yorker “The contemporary reader will marvel at [Bogdanov’s] foresight: nuclear fusion and propulsion, atomic weaponry and fallout, computers, blood transfusions, and (almost) unisexuality.” —Choice “Bogdanov’s novels reveal a great deal about their fascinating author, about his time and, ironically, ours, and about the genre of utopia as well as his contribution to it.” —Slavic Review

A revealing picture of Soviet efforts and accomplishments in the realm of moon rocketry, satellites, and space craft.

For centuries humankind has fantasized about life on Mars, whether it’s intelligent Martian life invading our planet (immortalized in H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds) or humanity colonizing Mars (the late Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles). The Red Planet’s proximity and likeness to Earth make it a magnet for our collective imagination. Yet the question of whether life exists on Mars—or has ever existed there—remains an open one. Science has not caught up to science fiction—at least not yet. This summer we will be one step closer to finding the answer. On August 5th, Curiosity—a one-ton, Mini Cooper-sized nuclear-powered rover—is scheduled to land on Mars, with the primary mission of determining whether the red planet has ever been physically capable of supporting life. In Getting to Mars, Roger Wiens, the principal investigator for the ChemCam instrument on the rover—the main tool for measuring Mars’s past habitability—will tell the unlikely story of the development of this payload and rover now blasting towards a planet 354 million miles from Earth. ChemCam (short for Chemistry and Camera) is an instrument onboard the Curiosity designed to vaporize and measure the chemical makeup of Martian rocks. Different elements give off uniquely colored light when zapped with a laser; the light is then read by the instrument’s spectrometer and identified. The idea is to use ChemCam to detect life-supporting elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to evaluate whether conditions on Mars have ever been favorable for microbial life. This is not only an inside story about sending fantastic lasers to Mars, however. It’s the story of a new era in space exploration. Starting with NASA’s introduction of the Discovery Program in 1992, smaller, scrappier, more nimble missions won out as behemoth manned projects went extinct. This strategic shift presented huge opportunities—but also presented huge risks for shutdown and failure. And as Wiens recounts, his project came close to being closed down on numerous occasions. Getting to Mars is the inspiring account of how Wiens and his team overcame incredible challenges—logistical, financial, and political—to successfully launch a rover in an effort to answer the eternal question: is there life on Mars?

Oberg investigates modern disasters in the Soviet Union--from space shots to industrial catastrophes, to pollution, floods and fires. What really happened, why were they covered up, and how were they finally discovered? This book explains it all. 8 pages of black-and-white photos.

Takes amateur spacefarers on a flight into the future.

For the 50th anniversary of Sputnik, the artificial satellite launched by the Russians in 1957, Brzezinskis book vividly recounts the true story of the birth of the space age in dramatic detail, bringing it to life as never before.

A Sunday Times Bestseller! A 2022 Alex Award Winner! “Sparks fly” (NPR) in Everina Maxwell’s gut-wrenching and romantic space opera debut. Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal and the Emperor's least favorite grandchild, has been called upon to be useful for once. He's commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to the representative of the Empire's newest and most rebellious vassal planet. His future husband, Count Jainan, is a widower and murder suspect. Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan's past, and they'll have to do it together. So begins a legendary love story amid the stars. Like Ancillary Justice meets Red, White and Royal Blue, Winter’s Orbit is perfect for fans of Lois McMaster Bujold. “High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, 'Now kiss!' ... in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there’s a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept.” —The New York Times Book Review At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.