New Guys

Archival Summary & Scope

Discover the untold story of NASA’s transformative 1978 astronaut class, "The New Guys," featuring the first American women, African Americans, Asian American, and gay person to fly to space. Marking a radical departure from military test pilots, this generation ushered in the Space Shuttle era. With exclusive astronaut participation, the book chronicles their mastery of the revolutionary shuttle—launching satellites, building the ISS, and deploying Hubble—amidst NASA’s pressures to meet military and commercial demands. It reveals their triumphs, struggles, and the tragic losses of Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003). Through personal accounts of friendship, rivalry, and sacrifice, "The New Guys" celebrates their enduring legacy and pursuit of a more equitable future in space for all humankind.