Ask the Astronaut: A Galaxy of Astonishing Answers to Your Questions on Spaceflight

Description

Ever wondered what space is really like? In his 25 years of training for, flying in, consulting on, and writing and speaking about space, astronaut and spacewalker Tom Jones can answer that question and many others. What do you feel on liftoff? What is weightlessness? Where do you sleep in space? Can you see the Great Wall of China? Jones answers every question you have ever had about space in Ask the Astronaut. His characteristic blend of wit, personal experience, and technical expertise shines in each answer, and together all the answers illuminate the true space experience from start to finish. His engaging and informative responses remind readers of historic space achievements, acquaint them with exciting new ambitions, make them feel like they have experienced space firsthand, and even inspire them to want to explore space themselves. Jones covers everything from the training process for new astronaut candidates and the physical sensations and challenges of rocketing into orbit to what it's like to live, work, and walk in space. Jones also explores the future of spaceflight, both professional and commercial, in the years to come. Ask the Astronaut is a delight for all readers, especially "armchair astronauts" and young would-be space explorers.

Date- 2013-08-06 Tom Jones is a writer and bestselling author of Tired of London, Tired of Life and Mad Dogs & Englishmen. He is happiest when discovering new things to do and believes it is important to make the most of where you live. Born near Stroud in the Cotswolds, he is the son of two shopkeepers and studied in York before moving to London. Tom's favourite pub is the Woolpack at Slad in Gloucestershire, and his favourite place in London is 19 Princelet Street. London, The Weekends Start Here is Tom's third book. Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE, known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. He became one of the most popular vocalists to emerge from the mid-1960s. Since then he has sung nearly every form of popular music - pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, soul and gospel - and sold over 100 million records. Sir Tom has had thirty-six top 40 hits in the UK and nineteen in the US, including It's Not Unusual, Delilah, Kiss and Sex Bomb.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL The former space shuttle astronaut and planetary scientist has written a treasure trove of answers to FAQs about modern space flight. The text is well organized, with questions categorized into chapters that explain the different steps in the process of aspiring to, training for, and living and working in space. Jones answers scores of questions that he has received over the years at public forums, from "Where should we send astronauts next in space?" to "Have astronauts ever seen space aliens?" Most of the book focuses on NASA's space shuttle voyages to the International Space Station, because this is Jones's greatest area of experience as an astronaut. The technical descriptions in the answers are a bit complex, but the firsthand details and comprehensive back matter make this an ideal addition to any junior high or high school library. VERDICT A fascinating look at space travel that will excite budding STEM students.-Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX KIRKUS REVIEWS A veteran astronaut weighs in on queries ranging from how the universe began to how to pee in a spacesuit. The hundreds of questions are grouped in broadly topical chapters but otherwise arranged in no particular order. They cover an astronaut's qualifications, training, and work; what it feels like to travel into space and to live there; the nature of the universe and our near-future prospects for exploring it. Jones draws on his experiences on four space shuttle flights between 1994 and 2001 for his answers, which are usually fairly lengthy, though he plainly leaves a few things out: if "NASA astronauts wait an average of five years between missions," why were his so much closer together? Will he ever go to space again? "Not if I want to stay married." Still, he often drills down to the nitty-gritty: what's in the International Space Station's tool kit? A long list, beginning with vise grips and including "a crowbar, a fiber optic boroscope, torque tip drivers." He doesn't trumpet personal opinions, but they can be found in lukewarm responses to questions about space camp and space tourism, as well as a cogent argument for continuing our exploration of the high frontier: "We will be struck again by an asteroid." Plenty of small space photos and snapshots of the author and other astronauts at work and play are interspersed. Fine browsing for space geeks. (Nonfiction. 11-14)