Rick Husband wanted to be an astronaut since his fourth birthday, but it wasn't always for the right reasons. Initially, he thought it would be neat... cool... a fun thing to do. It wasn't until he came to a spiritual crossroads and was able to give that dream up to discover the true desires of his heart before he actually got into the space shuttle program at NASA. Three failed attempts didn't daunt this driven pilot-and the fourth interview process,...

Details the first flight of the space shuttle Columbia, as well as its tragic final flight.

"This inspiring picture book biography follows Kalpana Chawla from childhood in India to becoming the first Indian American female astronaut, highlighting her dedication, perseverance, and patience" --Provided by publisher.

On February 1, 2003, the seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia finished the last systems checks. At 8:45 AM eastern standard time, Columbia began to enter Earth's atmosphere. Mission Control predicted a smooth return home, but the confidence was short-lived. Learn all about this tragedy, and the history of the space program.