The memoirs of American astronaut Michael Mullane are dedicated to one of the most striking and dramatic pages of space exploration - the Space Shuttle reusable flight program. The system, ahead of its time and not used even a quarter of its capabilities, turned out to be the most dangerous among all manned vehicles in the history of astronautics. Over 30 years, 135 flights were made. Two of the five ships built were lost, claiming 14 lives. How could this happen? Why did great scientific and technological achievements bring not only victories, but also defeats? Mullane details the preparation period and the first decade of shuttle operation. We learn about how crews are selected and trained, how space explorers live and breathe, about the secret springs and unforgivable mistakes of the bureaucracy, about the mindset of ordinary Americans and the confrontation between great powers. This sincere book, often crude and completely politically incorrect, can be called, without exaggeration, a portrait of the era.