Spaceman cover art

Spaceman

An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe

Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Spaceman

By: Mike Massimino
Narrated by: Mike Massimino
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.95

Buy Now for £13.95

Summary

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that's about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on Earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you're about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind's chance to unlock the universe's secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit, with all the zip and buoyancy of life in microgravity.

Massimino's childhood space dreams were born the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Growing up in a working-class Long Island family, he catapulted himself to Columbia and then MIT, only to flunk his first doctoral exam and be rejected three times by NASA before making it through the final round of astronaut selection. Taking us through the surreal wonder and beauty of his first spacewalk, the tragedy of losing friends in the Columbia shuttle accident, and the development of his enduring love for the Hubble Telescope - which he and his fellow astronauts were tasked with saving on his final mission - Massimino has written an ode to never giving up and the power of teamwork to make anything possible. Spaceman invites us into a rare, wonderful world where science meets the most thrilling adventure, revealing just what having "the right stuff" really means.

©2016 Michael J. Massimino (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Aeronautics & Astronautics Astronomy & Space Science Physics Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology Astronomy Inspiring Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Technology Interstellar Biography
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

"Drive, determination, and desire are the enduring qualities that are reflected throughout this audiobook, narrated by its author, former astronaut Mike Massimino… His joy is contagious, and his accomplishments are incredible. Everyone, not just science geeks, will enjoy this production. " ( AudioFile)
All stars
Most relevant
love the story and love Mass. Audio was cutting out and missing the last seconds of his sentences.

Audio kept cutting out

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

For me this was a brilliant book and awe inspiring. The detail and emotions through good times and bad were great.

If you like space, you'll like this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

My title says it all to be honest. In this genre, there is always a danger of feeling exasperated or even cringed at these ‘larger than life’ people who become astronauts with multiple advanced degrees. This book misses that pothole entirely. Massimino presents himself as a version of YOU- just a kid from an immigrant family, failing his way into space. He presents his story with grace and humility- drawing on the lessons relevant to the common human in all of us. Following his story for a short 10 hours will leave you looking up at the stars, ready to work your absolute butt off- in the pursuit of your best potential.

Just listen to this dude

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Well told, honest and a fascinating behind the scenes view of the road to becoming an astronaut, warts and all.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book had me griped from the start, it’s a perfect story, funny, interesting and thought provoking! Mike give such a personal insight in to his life and career at NASA with all its highlights and occasional sadder times. Truly inspiring.

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews