From The Space Library
For the first time the inside story of Russia's marketing of their space program to the West is chronicled by one who was there. The colorful tales are told, warts and all. How the door to Russia's long hidden space program was opened during the era of Soviet perestroika, the political struggle on the signing of the first contract between the Russians and NASA, the push to change space station Freedom into a cooperative venture, the willingness of the Russians to use free markets against the wishes of NASA and how the Russian space station Mir became a commercial platform, are all told in a relaxed and engaging style by the author, who is the only American ever to work within the Russian space program. The book chronicles the author's 14 year journey to use Russian assets to strengthen the American space program.Included is the behind-the-scenes of signing
Dennis Tito, working with entertainment icons like James Cameron and Mark Burnett and the electrifying ride that was MirCorp. The book discusses the boycott organized by NASA to prevent
MirCorp's success and the drama behind the world's only commercial manned expedition that sent two men to the Mir space station for over two months, with no government funding. It is a tale of strong characters. Readers are given a front-row seat on the decade-long clash between the Russian chief
Yuri Semenov and NASA's
Dan Goldin, a paradoxical battle that saw the Russians embracing American open markets and NASA clinging to the Cold War model for space exploration. This powerful memoir is a timely exposé, as a new US administration and the public will question the next steps in foreign policy, space exploration and relations with Russia.
