If you've ever wanted to know what the Columbia astronauts and NASA Mission Control were thinking, feeling, and doing in the final moments of the shuttle's flight on February 1, 2003, look no further than Return to Flight by Dr. James F. Peters. But, as implied by its title, this is not merely the recounting of a tragic accident; it is a story about the passionate and dedicated women and men who, in the wake of disaster, faithfully supported the US human spaceflight program, creatively striving to ensure the next shuttle mission would be the safest yet.

With the very...