Donald A. Beattie served on the Space Station Advisory Committee from 1987 to 1994. He recounts the evolution of this troubled program from the perspective of a participant and close observer who worked side by side with many of the early NASA Space Station managers. He pulls no punches in describing the political and managerial conflicts that resulted in severely compromising a major international program that may never achieve the research goals envisioned when first announced by President Reagan in 1984.

Introduction: "The next logical step" (1982-1984) -- 1. First reality check : problems and solutions (April 1984-December 1985) -- 2. The baseline configuration : everyone on the same page? (January 1986-April 1987) -- 3. Replacing Challenger : more studies, more paper (April 1987-January 1989) -- 4. More management changes : design continues to evolve (February 1989-December 1990) -- 5. Restructuring the Space Station (January 1991-December 1992) -- 6. New administration : back to square one (January 1993-March 1994) -- 7. The International Space Station (Alpha) (April 1994-December 1996) -- 8. Assembly begins : a new star in the evening sky (January 1997-January 1999) -- 9. The story continues (1999-2005) -- 10. Who was in charge? No one!.