Episode 431- My God, itÕs full of books.


Greetings everyone, itÕs 2023 and that means weÕve officially wrapped up the 50th anniversaries for the Apollo lunar missions. The audio you heard was from the countdown and launch of Apollo 17. Last December I was lucky to be able to volunteer at the CosmosphereÕs First and Last Steps gala, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Cosmosphere and the 50th of Apollo 17. Earlier this week I gave presentation at the Cosmosphere with Emily Carney and Dave Giles, hosts of the Space and Things podcast. Emily and Dave joined virtually, and we kicked off the 2023 Coffee at the Cosmo events with a chat about podcasting, space, and more. IÕll be sharing the event audio in an episode of The Cosmosphere Podcast soon, so make sure youÕre subscribed to that show.

2023 is shaping up to be a busy launch year for SpaceX- they are aiming for 100 launches by the end of the year, and if the first few weeks of 2023 are any indication, theyÕve got a good chance of hitting that incredible cadence. A Falcon Heavy lifted off on January 15, 2023 supporting the USSF-67 mission for the United States Space Force. After that Falcon Heavy launch SpaceX sent  a GPS satellite and the latest batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. The Starlink launch on Thursday culminated with the 166th successful landing of an orbital class rocket on the drone ship, Of Course I still Love You which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean, downrange of Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

Check out my Substack article, The Week in Space History #3 for more details and video of the Falcon Heavy launch. 

On that note, I want to make sure podcast listeners know IÕve got a Substack. IÕve been sharing regular weekly emails that cover space history and news, which will supplement the podcast episodes you listen to here. The link to subscribe to my  FREE substack is in the show notes, so check it out! 

Now, for the rest of todayÕs episode, IÕve got a few book reviews from a bunch of books I read last year. I was hoping to get this episode out last fall, but IÕve taken a bit of personal time. 

IÕve been spending many of my mornings reading for an hour or two before work and itÕs helped me out a lot over these past few months. My sister loved to read, so taking some time each morning to ÒreadÓ with her has helped me a lot. 

This will be the first of many in a new type of episode, one where I discuss the books IÕve been reading for fun. Thematically, IÕve been on a Cold War technology, policy, and history kick thatÕs ended up having an emphasis on aviation/space and atomic technologies. About the book ÒreviewÓ episodes. IÕm not going to give ratings or a number for a review of these books. Simply, if I enjoyed a book, or found it useful, IÕll share my thoughts here. My philosophy on a book is that if itÕs not good at the beginning, IÕll flip around to a random part to see if it gets better. If I canÕt get into a book/canÕt finish it, itÕs not going to make the cut for these episodes. Please send me any recommendations youÕve got for reading- john@thespaceshot dot com. You can also send me a message on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Now, to the books!

The first is ÒProject Orion- the true story of the atomic spaceshipÓ by George Dyson, son of the famed physicist Freeman Dyson. George DysonÕs created a readable and informative look into Project Orion- the code name for a nuclear pulse propulsion spaceship that was proposed during the early days of AmericaÕs space program. The idea of exploding nuclear bombs behind a spaceship to propel it into orbit, or between planets, may seem absurd now, but it was a theory that was explored during the early days of the Cold War. 

WhatÕs fascinating is that the theoretical ships using nuclear pulse propulsion became more efficient as their sizes grew larger and heavier. These massive ships ranged from the smaller ones that weighed in at under 1,000 tons for a test, to the larger military and civilian versions that could weigh between 4,000 and 10,000 tons. Dyson shares details of many different types of ships, but one that stuck out to me was a military version, the Orion Deep Space Force, that was envisioned as part of a fleet of 20 or more ships orbiting hundreds of thousands of miles above Earth with crews of 20 to 30 people per ship. These deep space force ships would have provided early warning and strike capabilities against Soviet forces on Earth. 

While these designs are a fascinating Òwhat if,Ó I doubt the efficacy of some of the ideas that were proposed, at least in the context of launching in the 1950s to 60s. ItÕs not to say I think the idea to be technically impossible, just highly unlikely that it could have happened with the technology of the time. Not to mention, detonating hundreds of atomic bombs to propel a spacecraft into orbit seems a touch crazy. 

Dyson does a great job laying out the historical development of the program, from inception to eventual cancellation. Perhaps the entire idea of this project can be summed up with a quote from Freeman Dyson from a letter to Robert Oppenheimer in 1965 after the cancellation of the program.  p 269. Òyou will perhaps recognize the mixture of technical wisdom and political innocence with which we came to San Diego in 1958, as similar to the Los Alamos of 1943. You had to learn political wisdom by success, and we by failure. Often do I not know whether to be glad or sorry that we escaped the responsibilities of succeedingÓ ÒThe men who began the project in 1958, ÒFreeman wrote,Ó ÒAimed to create a propulsion system commensurate with the real size of the task of exploring the solar system, at a cost which would be politically acceptable, and they believe they have demonstrated the way to do itÉÓ ÒWhat would have happened to us if the government had given full support to us in 1959, as it did to a similar bunch of amateurs in Los Alamos in 1943? Would we have achieved by now a cheap and rapid transportation system extending all over the Solar System? Or are we lucky to have our dreams intact?Ó 

Speaking for myself, I think having our dreams intact works for this type of mission. It was a bonkers idea, that has technical merit. I could maybe see it used in space only, never launching from Earth, but my money is on less bombastic (pun intended) methods of propulsion to explore the outer reaches of our solar system. 

The book is currently out of print, but used copies can be found on Amazon or through your local library. I 100% recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read. 


Next up, ÒThe Age of Radiance: The epic rise and dramatic fall of the atomic eraÓ by Craig Nelson.

Keeping up the atomic theme for this summer. Age of Radiance starts out with the history of Marie and Pierre Curie and the groundbreaking work that they and others did in the years after the discovery of radioactive elements. 

ThereÕs the history of the development of peaceful uses of atomic power and weapons, starting around WWII and the emigration of German scientists to the United States and England. I enjoyed the look at the brilliant work of the scientists during this era. One of the quotes that stood out to me was how Enrico Fermi was described by fellow physicist Philip Morrison- ÒTurn every experience into a question. Can you analyze it? If not, youÕll learn something. If you can, youÕll also learn something.Ó To me this is the heart of the matter on what these scientists were doing. Whether or not you think scientists should work on atomic weapons/power, or what your views on these technologies are, many scientists approached these fundamental questions in exactly this way. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the look at the people and places covered in this book. IÕm from Colorado and I had never heard of Uravan until reading this book. The site was a mining town from the 1930s to the mid 1980s. ItÕs now a superfund site, and no traces of the town remain. I did a little bit of digging, thereÕs a website for the town, uravan.com, with some personal histories and links. Sadly, there are a number of links on the website are no longer functional, almost as if the website celebrating the town of Uravan, CO has disappeared from the face of the Earth just like the actual town. 

Back to the book. ItÕs worth picking up from a library, since the book came out in 2014, and thereÕs a lot of things that have changed in the past 8 plus years. However, Nelson fastidiously lays out a lot of historical information and timelines that are mostly current. 

Many countries, like Japan, Germany, France, and countless others have begun to rethink their turn away from nuclear power. In light of the Russian aggression into Ukraine, many European countries are beginning to see the benefit of having an always on and relatively clean form of power to supplement wind, solar, and geothermal. Instead, many European countries could be in for a rough winter since they have become so reliant on natural gas supplied by Russia through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Just to give some context on the current state of Nord Stream, it was shut down for what Russia called preventative maintenance in early September 2022, but as of January 2023 it still wasnÕt online. ItÕs now shut down indefinitely. According to a Kremlin spokeman, the pipeline will be down until sanctions against Russia are lifted. GermanyÕs phase out of nuclear power was supposed to be complete this year, but this may be delayed. Thankfully, European countries have the Baltic Pipe as another source for natural gas.

A future reliant on computers, electric cars, and amenities and technologies we havenÕt even dreamt of are going to require electricity. Nuclear power is a technology that is available now, and is one of the more ÒgreenÓ technologies available. As Nelson shares in his book, nuclear power and nuclear waste arenÕt what we see in the Simpsons, with the lovable and bumbling Homer referring to nuclear power as ÒnuculearÓ power. In reality, nuclear waste doesnÕt get buried in trees or at the bottom of a lake by Mr. Burns or Smithers. The process of securing and storing spent fuel is, well to be frank rather boring when compared to the fictions that pop culture would have you believe. (Soundbyte)

Nelson closes the book with a look at our Òtwo-facedÓ miracle that was discovered by the multitude of scientists he covers in his book. As he states, Òit is time to learn to live with blessed curses.Ó And on that point, IÕm inclined to agree. 


Now, for some local and aviation history, ÒMayday Over Wichita: the worst military aviation disaster in Kansas HistoryÓ by D.W. Carter looks at a forgotten and tragic crash in Wichita, Kansas in January, 1965. 

The KC-135 has been in service for decades as AmericaÕs primary refueling aircraft. The KC-135 and the Boeing 707 were developed from the Boeing 367-80 ÒDash 80Ó in the 1950s. You may hear this type of aircraft (with upgraded engines thankfully) fly over my house from time to time, since we live near McConnel AFB. 

Back to ÒMayday over WichitaÓ by D.W. Carter. A KC-135, callsign Raggy 42, crashed into a Wichita neighborhood just minutes after takeoff. The crash killed all seven of the crew and 23 residents of N. Piatt St. IÕm recording this episode a few days after the 58th anniversary of the crash, which happened on January 16, 1965. 

According to Carter, ÒWhen Kansas Governor William H. Avery arrived at the scene of the crash, he called it the Ò[s]econd worst disaster in Kansas in his experience.Ó Avery stated that Òit [was] second only to the Udall TornadoÓ of May 1955, which killed eighty people. Despite the death toll of the Udall tornado, the Piatt street plane crash was the worst non-natural disaster Kansas had ever seen, claiming many lives and causing the destruction of an entire neighborhood. The final toll taken by WFD recorded fourteen houses instantly obliterated, sixty-eight others damaged, thirty vehicles demolished, and thirty people killed- including the airmen.Ó P. 61-62. 

IÕve visited the park that is now at the site of this crash, and itÕs hard to imagine the horrors that were unleased when a fully fueled KC-135 impacted that neighborhood. D.W. Carter did the families of the residents of Piatt St. and the families of the air crew justice with this book, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. ItÕs a fast read, at only 131 pages, but itÕs an important look into a piece of history thatÕs not widely known. 

Carter acknowledges how this crash isnÕt as well-known as it could be, mainly since the crash impacted a neighborhood that was predominantly African American at the time. Had the crash impacted the College Hill area, just a mile or two away, the memory and action in the immediate aftermath the crash could have been radically different. IÕm glad that Carter wrote this book and covers the impact this crash had on the community here in Wichita. 

Next up, is ÒWingless Flight: The Lifting Body StoryÓ by R. Dale Reed with Darlene Lister. 

R. Dale Reed was an engineer who focused on lifting body aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft for NASA in a career that spanned over a half-century. As a NASA web feature describes, The lifting body program grew out of Reed's confidence that a wingless, low lift-to-drag aircraft could serve as an orbiting vehicle equipped to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and land safely. In the lifting body concept, the entire vehicle becomes a controllable airfoil, eliminating the need for wingsÉ Reed was a prime mover in development of the prototype lightweight M2-F1 lifting body that flew successfully in 1963. The success of the unpowered M2-F1 led to development of the rocket-powered lifting bodies, such as the M2-F2 and M2-F3, HL-10, and the Air Force X-24A and X-24B. Reed's lifting body research provided guidance in the design of the space shuttle.Ó

Now, with some background out of the way, ÒWingless FlightÓ looks into the specifics of the work that was done on all of the craft mentioned just moments ago. I found ReedÕs account of the history of these programs a fun read, definitely not a dry technical account. The book clocks in at just over 200 pages including a brief appendix and glossary. I picked up a copy at my local library, but a PDF copy is available through NASAÕs history office.

The history of wingless flight and of the men and women that made these flights possible is fascinating and I recommend you give this a read. IÕm linking to the ebook in the show notes. 

Before we talk about the last book, I want to tell you about the line of space-themed jewelry and stickers I have available online. Check out Starlight and Gleam, youÕll find something cool for any budget; from a cool 3 pack of stickers (a holographic Space Shuttle and a glow in the dark LM and CSM) to a Sterling Silver Space Shuttle necklace. ValentineÕs Day is coming up, so order now for that perfect space-themed gift for someone special. Use the code SUBSTACK for free shipping on all orders. Thanks!

Lastly, I just finished ÒThe Age of Eisenhower: America and the world in the 1950sÓ by William I Hitchcock. 

ItÕs a fascinating look at EisenhowerÕs legacy- starting before WWII and ending with the years following him leaving office. ItÕs been said by historians that Ike was a do-nothing president, whoÕd rather have played a round of golf than deal with the rigors of office. Journalists, politicians, and historians that were EisenhowerÕs contemporaries argued he had no political experience and that his military experience/leadership couldnÕt translate into political office. 

HitchcockÕs painstakingly researched book, done over the course of eight years, presents a compelling view of EisenhowerÕs legacy. The many journalists, historians, politicians, and world leaders who underestimated Eisenhower did so at their own peril. I think Hitchcock captured the essence of EisenhowerÕs legacy- thoughtful and steady statesmanship. Sure Ike had missteps, just like any leader, but he wasnÕt a do-nothing president that played golf between visits to the hospital. I ended up purchasing a used copy of this book so I could reference it in the future. The bibliography and research notes are extensive and extremely useful as I dive into this period further. Out of all of the books I shared today, I enjoyed this biography of Ike the most. 

Links to all of the books discussed here are in the show notes. As I said before, send me a message if youÕve got a recommendation or if you appreciated these recommendations/reviews. 

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Until next time, I'm John Mulnix, and I'll catch you on the flip side.