Wisdom of an Astronaut: Massimino Memoir Selected Among Best STEM Books by NSTA

Professor Mike Massimino’s Spaceman: The True Story of a Young Boy's Journey to Becoming an Astronaut, a version of his best-selling memoir specially adapted for younger readers, was recently named one of the year’s best STEM books by the National Science Teaching Association. Selections are chosen for fostering “minds-on” engagement and “celebrating convergent and divergent thinking, analysis and creativity, persistence, and the sheer joy of figuring things out.”

Now a professor of professional practice in Mechanical Engineering, Massimino spent a distinguished two decades as a NASA astronaut. Among his many exploits were two missions into orbit, including four spacewalks, to extend the operational lifespan of the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as becoming the first person to tweet from space: "From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!" Back on Earth, at Columbia and with the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, his focus is on fostering design for next-generation space travel.

“I wanted to emphasize more of the formative experiences from my younger years that led me to the astronaut program,” says Massimino, who has also been a recurring guest star on The Big Bang Theory. “I hope that after reading the book young people and adults alike will be inspired to follow their dreams, and never give up.”