Spacefarers

Product Description
A Telegraph Best Book of the YearA wry and compelling take on the who, how, and why of near-future colonies in space. From bone-whittling microgravity to eye-popping profits, the risks and rewards of space settlement have never been so close at hand.More than fifty years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, why is there so little human presence in space? Will we ever reach Mars? What will it take to become a multiplanet species, colonizing the solar system and traveling to other stars?Spacefarers meets these questions head on. While many books have speculated on the possibility of living beyond the Earth, few have delved into the practical challenges or plausible motives for leaving the safe confines of our home planet. Christopher Wanjek argues that there is little doubt we will be returning to the Moon and exploring Mars in the coming decades, given the potential scientific and commercial bonanza. Private industry is already taking a leading role and earning profits from human space activity. This can be, Wanjek suggests, a sustainable venture and a natural extension of earthbound science, business, and leisure. He envisions hotels in low-earth orbit and mining, tourism, and science on the Moon. He also proposes the slow, steady development of science bases on Mars, to be followed by settlements if Martian gravity will permit reproduction and healthy child development.An appetite for wonder will take us far, but if we really want to settle new worlds, we’ll need the earnest plans of engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Wanjek introduces us to those planners, who are striving right now to make life in space a reality.
Review
“Nerdily engaging (and often funny)…Technology and science fiction enthusiasts will find much here to delight them, as Wanjek goes into rich detail on rocketry and propulsion methods, including skyhooks and railguns to fling things into orbit, or maglev trains running around manmade orbital rings…He is a sensible skeptic, yet also convinced that, in the long run, our destiny is among the stars.”
?
The Guardian

“Wanjek’s analysis of the commercial approach to space exploration adds an important perspective to the conversation about our future in space.”
?
Science

“If the events of this year have had you daydreaming about abandoning the planet entirely, [
Spacefarers] is a geekily pleasurable survey of the practicalities and challenges…This book should be given to all prospective space cadets.”
?
The Telegraph

“Engagingly readable…[A] delightful book.”
?
Michael D. Gordin
,
Los Angeles Review of Books

“A fascinating read for anyone interested in the practicalities of living away from Earth, and describes just how engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs are planning to expand humanity’s horizons.”
?
Paul Sutherland
,
BBC Sky at Night

“This book offers a witty yet in-depth exploration of the prospects for human habitation beyond Earth. Christopher Wanjek takes us on a bones-to-brain tour of human anatomy and psychology under extreme living conditions, from orbit around Earth to the far reaches of the solar system.
Spacefarers is accessible, authoritative, and in the end, inspiring.”
?
Richard Panek, author of The Trouble with Gravity: Solving the Mystery Beneath Our Feet

“Is our solar system the new frontier? In
Spacefarers, you’ll learn about a range of obstacles that make it more daunting to explore space than sea or sky. And yet, as Wanjek notes, we seem up for the challenge.”
?
David Brin, astrophysicist and author of Existence and The Postman

“Seamlessly blending biology and astrophysics with practical considerations, Wanjek humorously separates science fact from science fiction to illustrate the hazards and possible uses of space travel. A must-read.”
?
Lynn Cominsky, Sonoma State University

“Wanjek gives readers a detailed and pragmatic look at living in space.
Spacefarers explores not only the science and technology behind space travel, but also the ec