People who worked on the technical and administrative sides of the program, journalists, scholars of technology and society, and political scientists offer perspectives on the US Space Shuttle program from its post-Apollo inception to its retirement in 2011. The topics include designing the Shuttle within the political system, engineering the engine, operations from preparation through flight to recovery, accidents and anomalies, building the space station in orbit, living and working on the Shuttle, and the Shuttle as a cultural icon. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)