Saving Columbia
Lost Opportunity to Save Seven Astronauts
Sign In or Register Now to see if this title is available for request.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on WaterstonesSend NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 15 Oct 2026 | Archive Date 25 Nov 2026
Talking about this book? Use #SavingColumbia #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Drawing heavily on real NASA procedures, shuttle operations, and the historical events surrounding STS-107, Saving Columbia explores the dramatic "what if" scenario of the rescue mission that might have been.
On January 16, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-107, carrying seven astronauts and a full schedule of scientific experiments. Shortly after liftoff, a piece of foam struck the shuttle's left wing. Unknown to the crew, the impact fatally compromised the thermal protection system required for reentry.
Inside NASA's Mission Control in Houston, engineers began to suspect that Columbia might not survive the return to Earth. As evidence mounted, a terrifying realization emerged: the astronauts could be stranded in orbit. With only days before the shuttle would have to attempt reentry, NASA leadership confronted an unprecedented question--could Columbia's crew be rescued? Engineers proposed a daring plan: launch Space Shuttle Atlantis on an emergency mission, rendezvous with Columbia in orbit, and transfer the crew through a dangerous EVA between the two spacecraft.
What follows is a gripping race against time–driven by frantic engineering analyses, launch-pad emergency preparations, mounting political pressure from Washington, and the courage of astronauts willing to risk everything.
Advance Praise
"Saving Columbia is a riveting story of a space rescue which never happened but could have. It is told in such detail that the narrative is an in-depth experience in space technology and space policy. The loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew was a national tragedy. This fictional alternative history where tragedy is averted and the crew saved by one of the nation's foremost space experts is a must read."–Robert S. Walker, Former Chairman, House Science Committee and National Space Policy Leader, and former Chair of the President's Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry
"Exceptional ...many of the lessons cited here were implemented on shuttle flights after STS-107. All the possible rescue options are addressed. As pointed out, an expedited shuttle rescue would have involved many 'firsts.' Well done." –Dr. James Peters, Former Shuttle Debris Integration Chair responsible for correcting the problems that led to the Columbia Accident on STS-107 and returning the shuttle Fleet to operational flight status. He also published Return to Flight: Inside NASA's Space Shuttle Missions in the Wake of the Columbia Disaster
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781965922439 |
| PRICE | $25.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 178 |
Available on NetGalley
Available to Buy
Buy on Amazon Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on WaterstonesAverage rating from 6 members
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1243265
As someone who has a tendency of watching every docuseries on things that have gone wrong in engineering and aeronautics, I saw this title and knew I had to read it. (And even if you are not familiar with the story or need a brush up on what happened prior to reading this, there is a decent synopsis about what went wrong provided by the author.)
“Saving Columbia” is a fictional rendition of what could have been done to prevent the tragic deaths of the 7 real astronauts aboard the Columbia space shuttle back in 2003. Despite its novella length, it provides scientific solutions that could have been rendered to provide a happy ever after that none of these individuals ever got. It was well researched and thought out, and took so many “what-ifs” that have been speculated over the past 23 years and applied them.
My only caveat is that this book may not appeal to the casual reader. If you are turned off by technical terms and science jargon, you are not in for a good time because that is quite literally a bulk of what this is with bits of fictional conversation interspersed throughout it. It is not a lyrical or flowery prose filled story of how the Columbia astronauts could have averted disaster, but more of a checklist of all the fatal errors being corrected. As a result, the book can feel a tad dry at times. But I will say that it does an excellent job describing all the functions of components that needed to be corrected for a successful re-entry and outlined them in a way that was easy to follow.
This book will be released on October 15, 2026! Thank you to Marshall H. Kaplan and Universal Publishers for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Lisa B, Reviewer
Like Challenger, Columbia was a victim of preventable negligence that cost us 7 *more" unnecessary loss of lives.
This book is historical fiction. It's not a factual recount of what went wrong. It's a "what if" scenario if NASA and those involved had made the effort to fully address the damage the foam debris caused the wing that ultimately ripped apart the orbiter.
If you enjoy considering an alternative, positive outcome from the Columbia flight, you will probably enjoy this story. If you're looking for a better understanding of the tragedy facts in detail, this isn't it.
Also, note this ARC is a pdf not epub.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jean-Christophe Cloutier
Biographies & Memoirs, Essays & Collections, Nonfiction (Adult)
Karen Dupiche
Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Pop Culture, Nonfiction (Adult)
Lexi Davis
General Fiction (Adult), New Adult, Romance
