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| Author | G. Harry Stine |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science Fiction, Thriller |
| Publisher | Ballantine/Del Rey |
Publication date | 1981 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Novel |
| Pages | 216 |
| ISBN | 978-0-345-29262-9 |
Shuttle Down is a novel by American authorG. Harry Stine, written under the pen nameLee Correy.[1] First appearing as a four-part serial inAnalog magazine between December 1980 and March 1981, the novel was later published byBallantine/Del Rey in 1981, with a second edition following in 1985.
The book can best be described as an early form of thetechno-thriller genre, later popularized by authors such asTom Clancy.
In the book, theSpace ShuttleAtlantis launches on apolar orbit flight fromVandenberg Air Force Base inSouthern California. During the launch, themain engines cut off prematurely and the Shuttle is forced to make an emergency landing onEaster Island.[2]
Officials atNASA must manage the technological challenge of recovering the shuttle. Problems include a lack of documents for the astronauts and shuttle, bringing in the crane that is used to lift the Shuttle onto thespecially-modified747 that carries it, widening the runway to accommodate the 747, building turn-arounds on the runway, and bringing in fuel for the plane.[citation needed]
Asubplot involves efforts by theSoviet Union to take the Shuttle for itself.[3]
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