As NASA and SpaceX prepare for the first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil since the last flight of the shuttle nine years ago, the AIAA Los Angeles Section hosts authors from the Outward Odyssey series of spaceflight history books for a panel discussion of the preparation, risk and excitement that go into first flights of new vehicles. From the daring test pilots who risk their lives in cutting-edge planes to pave the way to space, to the first launches of new vehicles from Apollo to the Shuttle, to the dawning of the new era of commercial spaceflight, panelists will share stories from history on the eve of a new chapter of history beginning.
