RUTHLESS SKY

In this alternative-history novel, a NASA shuttle mission in trouble and its astronauts are stranded in space, waiting for a plan that will allow them to safely return home.

It’s 1989, and five hours after the space shuttle Intrepid has begun its milestone mission to deploy Odysseus, a billion-dollar solar probe, the crew members find a wing rupture on the vessel. While Odysseus takes off successfully—the first research probe launched from a polar orbit—the hole on the shuttle’s wing means the crew cannot get home unless mission control on Earth can quickly find a solution. The situation is further complicated by the failure of one of the shuttle’s communications systems. What follows is a story that showcases the media circus that accompanies the mission, the internal politics at NASA and within the American government, and an unexpected offer of help from Russia in the middle of the Cold War. The tale blends these elements with the complex dynamics between the astronauts trapped on the Intrepid—portrayed with an enjoyable touch of humor (“Yesterday I would have killed for a videotape of Ghostbusters, but things are going to get interesting very soon. I was getting bored”)—and a romantic storyline that centers on Capt. Stephen Hayes Bartlett and Dr. Catherine “Cat” Riley. Broadwell’s engrossing SF tale delivers an alternative history in which the 1986 Challenger mission was successful, emboldening NASA to run riskier operations. The narrative skillfully goes back and forth in time, from the months leading up to the shuttle’s launch to the dangerous mission, the rescue attempts (some of which lead to tragic consequences), and the aftermath. While the story breezily details the crew’s difficulties and the proposals to fix the shuttle, it focuses on the romantic relationship between Cat and Stephen with touching results.

A well-crafted and engaging SF tale about space exploration.