Space 2069: After Apollo: Back to the Moon, to Mars, and Beyond

Description

Half a century after Apollo 11 we have still not returned to the Moon, but that is about to change. The thirteenth person to walk on the Moon could soon be part of a crew establishing a base on the lip of a crater at the lunar south pole. The discovery of ice in the eternal shadows of the polar regions transforms our ability to live on the Moon. From bases on the Moon we can make the long, lonely and dangerous voyage to Mars, where there is also ice. The obstacles are many, not least the fragilities of the human body. And what type of world would the first Mars explorers find? Science journalist David Whitehouse - with his 'reporter's gift for uncomplicated storytelling' (Financial Times) - presents a mind-expanding tour of humanity's future in space over the next 50 years, up to the 100th anniversary of the moon landing.

David Whitehouse is a former BBC Science Correspondent and BBC Science Editor. He is the author of the bestselling Apollo 11: The Inside Story, and has written for The Times, The Guardian, Focus, New Scientist and The Economist.

[A] skilful history of space exploration ... A realist, Whitehouse emphasizes that, without a major breakthrough in rocket technology, travel to Mars will test the limits of human endurance and willingness to bear the expense. His forecast for 2069 is a struggling 18-man international base on Mars. China will have its own. A fine overview of the past and future of human space exploration. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * It is rare to read something that so closely mixes science fiction with reality, but Space 2069 does just that ... [It] packs a sizeable punch ... an intelligent portrait of where we may be in the next half-century. * BBC Sky at Night * Rich, topical and informative * Physics World *