GUS GRISSOM: A Space Biography

by Carmen Bredeson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1998

The ill-fated life of astronaut Virgil ""Gus"" Grissom is recounted in this latest entry to the Countdown to Space series aimed at less proficient readers. One of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, Grissom's mission--the second space shot, following Alan Shepard--ended on a shocking note when the door to his one-man capsule blew off prematurely, nearly drowning Grissom during recovery. Later, as the first astronaut to pilot the two-passenger Gemini spacecraft (the Molly Brown), Grissom found glory. The sky no longer seemed the limit when Grissom was named to the crew of Apollo 1; his death, with his two crewmates, in a fire that swept through the command capsule, set the program back for years, forcing NASA to initiate more efficient safety measures. By including plenty of quotes from Grissom and his wife in the narrative, Bredeson adds immediacy and warmth to this history of one of the US's first space travelers--the men who self-deprecatingly referred to themselves as ""spare in a can.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Enslow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1997

Categories: NONFICTION