Living Off the Land in Space: Green Roads to the Cosmos / Edition 1

by C Bangs, Greg Matloff, Les Johnson

Overview

This book presents a visionary concept for future development of space travel. It describes the enabling technology for future propulsion concepts and demonstrates how mankind will ‘live off the land in space’ in migration from Earth. For the next few millennia at least (barring breakthroughs), the human frontier will include the solar system and the nearest stars. Will it be better to settle the Moon, Mars, or a nearby asteroid and what environments can we expect to find in the vicinity of nearby stars? These are questions that need to be answered if mankind is to migrate into space.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387360546
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	06/06/2007
Edition description:	2007
Pages:	247
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.05(d)

About the Author

At present, Dr Matloff teaches physics and astronomy as an Assistant Professor at New York City Technical College, CUNY. He has pioneered the application of gossamer spacecraft to deep-space exploration and has served as a Faculty Fellow in summer 1999, 2000 and 2001 at NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC), Huntsville AL. He has participated there on a design team planning interstellar missions propelled by solar sails unfurled Sunward of the Earth. He consults for NASA through Gray Research and Teledyne Brown, in Huntsville AL.

Les Johnson manages the Science Programs and Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. In addition to his NASA credentials, Johnson also is an inventor. He holds three patents, including one received in 1989 for a laser-triggered, fiber-optic neutron detector. His most recent patent was awarded in July 2003 for an electrodynamic sail for propulsion. Johnson is also a two-time recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal.

Ms Bangs’ work is in many permanent collections, including MSFC, the US Library of Congress, the Mint Museum and the Chrysler Museum.

Table of Contents

The Old Frontier.- The New Frontier.- The Rocket and Its Limits.- The First “Green” Space Technologies.- Probes to the Planets:Where We've Been on Our Journey.- Probes to the Stars:Concept Studies.- Breaking Out into Space:Visionary Futures.- Thinking Interstellar.- Technological Readiness.- Space Brakes(“Living of the Land” by Using a Planetary Atmosphere).- The Ion Trial.- The Orbital Steam Locomotive.- Sky Clippers.- Art or Science?.- Space Beanstalks.- Chemical Propulsion for Space Exploration: Good for Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow.- Human Exploration.- Defending the Earth.- Space Miners.- Some Exotic Possibilities.- Sights on Centauras.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"The goal of the book is to provide a realistic view of what might be possible with technologies that are accessible in the near future. A wealth of references at the end of each chapter point the way to further resources. Living Off the Land in Space should satisfy anyone who wants to learn about space colonization and the propulsion methods that will make it happen." (Bernd Henschenmacher, www.centauri-dreams.org, September, 2007)

"This book is … about ways of powering spaceships to get to other worlds. … the book explores ways of accelerating spaceships using the environments encountered on the journey through space. … The book discusses other means of powering spacecraft, including gravity assists from planetary flybys, ion drives, solar sailing and electromagnetic tethers. … Overall the book is more a review of current or developing techniques … . I found it an enjoyable read and informative." (P L Dyson, Australian Physics, Vol. 45 (1), 2008)

"A sustainable long-term presence in space certainly requires the use of in-space resources with new technologies. This is the subject of the book Living off the Land in Space. Green Roads to the Cosmos. The word Green refers to the use of technologies lessening or eliminating any dependence on Earth, not because they have no impact on Earth’s environment. … I can recommend this book to everyone interested in the future of space exploration. The book is written by a pair of scientists … ." (Claude Semay, Physicalia, Vol. 30 (2), 2008)

From the Publisher