--- product_id: 193496181 title: "Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight)" brand: "chris pettydennis r. jenkins" price: "$U2789" currency: UYU in_stock: true reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.uy/products/193496181-beyond-blue-skies-the-rocket-plane-programs-that-led-to store_origin: UY region: Uruguay --- # Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) **Brand:** chris pettydennis r. jenkins **Price:** $U2789 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) by chris pettydennis r. jenkins - **How much does it cost?** $U2789 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.uy](https://www.desertcart.uy/products/193496181-beyond-blue-skies-the-rocket-plane-programs-that-led-to) ## Best For - chris pettydennis r. jenkins enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted chris pettydennis r. jenkins brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) ## Images ![Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81DVrQUSEqL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Fly With the First Pilots to Strap Into Winged Rockets! *by W***O on Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021* Being a fan of the University of Nebraska Press’ Outward Odyssey series, I found Petty’s kickoff work a welcome addition to A People’s History of Spaceflight. The early rocketplane research flights offer an evolutionary lineage toward later space vehicles, and prior to this book, these developmental flights have seemed lacking in popular accounts. With newer rocketplanes currently seeking commercial viability, it is enlightening to recognize the very first time humans successfully sought some of these engineering configurations and extreme flight envelops. The first rocketplane trips to space, much harder to achieve and control back then, can still sound surprisingly modern.Petty’s style is approachable, comfortable language, explaining aerospace terminology with helpful comparisons for a range of backgrounds. Conversational engineering familiarity will help the reader, but his descriptions work very well for those who may not commonly use terms like “ablative coatings,” “effective dihedrals,” or “roll coupling.” He uses anecdotes effectively, sprinkling a few lesser-heard, peculiar, or humorous stories into the mix, and this certainly enhances the friendly narrative.Petty’s strength here is staying on-track with the People’s History series mission of offering “how it felt.” Those familiar with Wolfe’s The Right Stuff of four decades ago may see the same desire to strengthen our knowledge of the humans inside the machines, and the author gives us several glances into the pilots’ mindsets. Yes, we want to know what zooming to insane altitude ceilings was like, or how you survived getting your pressure helmet repeatedly smacked against the rocketplane’s canopy. But also, where were they coming from, personally and professionally? Did they have familiar family distractions? In a group of traditional overachieving aviators with predominantly wartime military backgrounds, did they have personality clashes among themselves and with their bosses? The challenge of precision flying in a time without digital assistance, and with far more frequent mechanical mishaps, demanded coolness in spite of such.Perhaps the best section in the book, for those interested in flight test and pre-Shuttle development, is the book’s third part: Lifting Bodies. Apart from knowing the famous film clip used in the Six Million Dollar Man TV series introduction, readers might find this section the most surprising. Both powered and unpowered glide versions of these curious craft make for some exciting, “hairy” scenes, and the author puts us right in the cockpit.Petty brings us a exceptional first book, and a very entertaining look at pioneering, edge-of-space flight research work. This book is a must-have addition to an aerospace enthusiast's history collection. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Kelly Johnson actually worked with the U of M wind tunnel. *by D***R on Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022* The U of M wind tunnel was silent the day I was at orientation at North Campus at University of Michigan. I touched base with Lockheed "Skunk Works" in 1965 choosing a firm from a campus publication. This book showed me the stretch using external tanks I kind of puzzled over in it's real life era as I worked with FX performance data. The F-12 and then the SR-71 haunted those who wanted AWACS first to be Air Defense Command and then TAC. I flew from the Moffet dirigible hangar in a P-3C Update 1 to harden my experience with Lockheed's view. My real view was to the Convair "Centaur" rocket stage of Atlas after spending time with the SKYLAB conversion of the Apollo Saturn S-IV-B with men from China Lake one day just before it was launched. Mach 7 was the goal of the subject of this book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars A great lead-in *by P***R on Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023* It’s a great thing to remember the first steps, the preparation for the big jumps that get all the headlines. Don’t forget the guys who worked, sometimes unheralded, in the high desert. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.uy/products/193496181-beyond-blue-skies-the-rocket-plane-programs-that-led-to](https://www.desertcart.uy/products/193496181-beyond-blue-skies-the-rocket-plane-programs-that-led-to) --- *Product available on Desertcart Uruguay* *Store origin: UY* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*