Mike Mullane - Riding Rockets

My family at the astronaut beach house in late February 1990, prior to my last mission, STS-36. Donna and I stand in the middle. My mom and our youngest daughter, Laura, stand at my right. Our twins, Patrick and Amy, stand at Donna’s left. My dad passed away in 1988.

On the drive back from an STS-36 launch scrub, I hold my pressure-suit neck ring open for a flow of cooling air to escape. I forced the smile. Mission scrubs were always a crushing disappointment…and I had six of them.

The STS-36 (February 28–March 4, 1990) in-space crew photo. From left to right: Commander John “J.O.” Creighton and Mission Specialist Dave Hilmers. I’m floating in the middle. Next are Mission Specialist Pierre “Pepe” Thuot and Pilot John Casper.

Donna and I meet the Bushes in the Oval Office, May 1990. While leading us on a tour of the White House, Mrs. Bush displayed a hilarious one-of-the-guys sense of humor.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

1. Bowels and Brains

2. Adventure

3. Polio

4. Sputnik

5. Selection

6. The Space Shuttle

7. Arrested Development

8. Welcome

9. Babes and Booze

10. Temples of History

11. The F***ing New Guys

12. Speed

13. Training

14. Adventures in Public Speaking

15. Columbia

16. Pecking Order

17. Prime Crew

18. Donna

19. Abort

20. MECO

21. Orbit

22. Coming to America

23. Astronaut Wings

24. Part-time Astronauts

25. The Golden Age

26. Challenger

27. Castle Intrigue

28. Falling

29. Change

30. Mission Assignment

31. God Falls

32. Swine Flight

33. Classified Work

34. “No reason to die all tensed up”

35. Riding a Meteor

36. Christie and Annette

37. Widows

38. “I have no plans past MECO”

39. Holding at Nine and Hurting

40. Last Orbits

41. The White House

42. Journey’s End

Epilogue

Glossary