Mike Malleyna autobiographical work "Horse riding on a rocket. Outrageous stories shuttle astronauts' tell the reader about the preparation and flight Space Famous The Shuttle, inexcusable bureaucratic error, the mindset of ordinary Americans and the great confrontation powers.
Mike Malleyn
Astronaut NASA, Colonel. He made three space flights on the shuttle as a flight specialist. He has been recognized as a bright, inspirational speaker, speaking on CNN and Fox News. The author of four books about travel in space.
1. Astronauts do not like psychiatrists
Tackling the ranks of astronauts extremely zhostok. Of the 8000 candidates to participate in the flights of the Space Shuttle program you have selected a total of 35 people. Future explorers of the cosmos bring your fitness to a state close to the ideal, but the years about their health care and long hours of training are powerless when it comes to inspection at psychiatrist.
"I did not want anything in my surveys raise questions. I want to be normal so that when someone begins to search for a word in the dictionary, he would have found there is a portrait of me. So I lied. I did not say anything about how we wrote in the radiator as the motor car blew up or worn around the mountain peaks in the "Cessna-150". I lied, even when the truth could go in my favor, "- the author writes.
Mike Malleyn talks about passing inspection from two individuals, each of whom, and so strove to catch him on some psychological "mine." He, like other candidates, asked questions, the answers to which are often not obvious. Trying to appeal to the Commission, future astronauts openly lied to psychiatrists.
2. Nothing human is alien astronaut
The relationship of young astronauts with the opposite sex the author singled out in a separate chapter titled "Heifers and drinking." Astronauts Space Shuttle Program were invited guests in the officers' clubs. Of the title of "astronaut" enough to be a huge success with women.
"Riding the rocket. Outrageous stories astronaut space shuttle "The fact that none of us have not yet become closer to space than a conventional flight attendant did not seem to matter. For fans of space office was enough.
Mike Malleyn not tasted a young stag privileges astronaut: the time of selection, he was already married. However, the ring on the finger did not stop many other space explorers from partaking of the joys of the flesh. In the ranks of astronauts by the time of preparation of Space Shuttle program was attended by the relative approval of promiscuity.
3. Rule number 1: "Better death than shame"
"Better death than shame" - the refrain, which is found in various chapters throughout the book. Indeed, it is such a simple, but powerful motivator and secured a place in the ranks of astronauts selected. It is the fear of disgrace in many ways forced the candidates to study very hard and show the best of their opportunities in attempts to regurgitate the contents of the stomach on the testing that simulates exposure to weightlessness.
4. Astronauts immature towards women
Mike Malleyn himself considered himself to people from Planet Arrested Development. Astronaut training took place in a Catholic school, and the fate of connected with military affairs. As a result, even an independent selection of clothing for Malleyna has become a daunting task. The author also did not get proper knowledge and skills in the sphere of relations with the opposite sex. Malleyn notes that certain underdevelopment characteristic of the vast majority of military pilots, passing the selection as an astronaut.
"Riding the rocket. Outrageous stories astronaut space shuttle "One day in the beginning, I was careless enough to tell the beginners group, among whom was Sally Ride, the anecdote in which figured the word "tits". Sally hardly over the next 10 years, said to me one word.
Women in the Space Shuttle program were forced to be trained along with men. We must pay tribute to their patience: it is difficult to imagine a place where the concentration is incorrect and sexist jokes higher than in the group of astronauts.
5. Among the astronauts are no racists
Positive discrimination is reflected in all aspects of American life. It was no exception, and NASA, seeking to enter into the program Space Shuttle women and African Americans. Discrimination on grounds of race in the crew did not have: a color astronaut served as a breeding ground for harmless jokes, but not for the enmity.
Gayon Bluford - the first black astronaut, privileged to visit space. African-American candidates who have not passed the selection for participation in the first flight of Space Shuttle, We were frustrated not only by this fact, but also because they did not receive the title of "the first black astronaut ".
«Riding on a rocket. Outrageous stories shuttle astronaut"- it is not patriotic bravado of NASA space flight and not a work of art, designed to engender in young minds dream of becoming an astronaut. Malleyn not smoothes the corners, openly criticizing the Directorate of NASA and the administration of President George W. Bush - younger.
Despite their documentary, the book is committed drama: special attention should be given a chapter describing the death of the space shuttle "Challenger" and the experience of the author of the incident.
The world a little more than 500 people to fly into space. Memoirs left, perhaps, at least a hundred of them. And Mike Malleyna book - a memoir, definitely worth reading.
Buy on Litres.ru