Michael Foale was the NASA astronaut aboard Mir in 1997 when collision nearly
resulted in an impromptu spacewalk for the station’s three inhabitants. His stay
aboard Mir was filled with tribulations. The station lost power regularly and
tumbled out of control, and he worried about suffocation as fans had to be
turned off to save energy. Foale’s experience is now grist for a memoir.
Unfortunately, it is his father’s. Self-conscious writing, unlikely “quotations”
and incongruous reminiscences make Waystation to the Stars a much less
than satisfying read. Published by Headline, £18.99, ISBN 0747273804.
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