The emerging asteroid mining industry has extremely ambitious intentions. It is within the realm of possibility that their work may usher in a change in global economics as profound as the Industrial Revolution. As may be expected, press reports dealing with asteroid mining have been numerous, ranging in scope from short and breezy to broad and serious, and in quality from accurate to impressionistic to simply uninformed. There is good reason to be curious about what may be the biggest game-changer in human economic history. And there is good reason to look closely at the underlying science and engineering that form the foundation of this work.
This book produces convincing evidence that exploiting the potential of space could help solve many environmental and social issues affecting our planet, such as pollution, overcrowding, resource depletion and conflicts, economic inequality, social unrest, economic instability and unemployment. It also touches on the legal problems that will be encountered with the implementation of the new technologies and new laws that will need to be enacted and new organizations that will need to be formed to deal with these changes. This proposition for a space economy is not science fiction, but well within the remit of current or under development technologies. Numerous technologies are described and put together to form a coherent and feasible road map that, if implemented, could lead humankind towards a brighter future.
This book investigates Venus and Mercury prospective energy and material resources. It is a collection of topics related to exploration and utilization of these bodies. It presents past and future technologies and solutions to old problems that could become reality in our life time. The book therefore is a great source of condensed information for specialists interested in current and impending Venus and Mercury related activities and a good starting point for space researchers, inventors, technologists and potential investors. Written for researchers, engineers, and businessmen interested in Venus and Mercury exploration and exploitation.
From the longest-serving Flight Director in NASA's history comes a revealing account of high-stakes Mission Control work and the Space Shuttle program that has redefined our relationship with the universe. A compelling look inside the Space Shuttle missions that helped lay the groundwork for the Space Age, Shuttle, Houston explores the determined personalities, technological miracles, and eleventh-hour saves that have given us human spaceflight. Relaying stories of missions (and their grueling training) in vivid detail, Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving Flight Director, examines the split-second decisions that the directors and astronauts were forced to make in a field where mistakes are unthinkable, and where errors led to the loss of national resources -- and more importantly one's crew. Dye's stories from the heart of Mission Control explain the mysteries of flying the Shuttle -- from the powerful fiery ascent to the majesty of on-orbit operations to the high-speed and critical re-entry and landing of a hundred-ton glider. The Space Shuttles flew 135 missions. Astronauts conducted space walks, captured satellites, and docked with the Mir Space Station, bringing space into our everyday life, from GPS to satellite TV. Shuttle, Houston puts readers in his own seat at Mission Control, the hub that made humanity's leap into a new frontier possible.
This volume is a compilation of the research presented at the International Asteroid Day workshop which was celebrated at Barcelona on June 30th, 2015. The proceedings discuss the beginning of a new era in the study and exploration of the solar system’s minor bodies. International Asteroid Day commemorates the Tunguska event of June 30th, 1908. The workshop’s goal was to promote the importance of dealing proactively with impact hazards from space. Multidisciplinary experts contributed to this discussion by describing the nature of comets and asteroids along with their offspring, meteoroids. New missions to return material samples of asteroids back to Earth such as Osiris-REx and Hayabusa 2, as well as projects like AIM and DART which will test impact deflection techniques for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids encounters were also covered. The proceedings include both an outreach level to popularize impact hazards and a scientific character which covers the latest knowledge on these topics, as well as offering proposals of promising new techniques that will help gain new insights of the properties of these challenging bodies by studying meteoroids and meteorites. Asteroids, comets, meteoroids and meteorites are introduced with descriptions of their nature, origin, and solar system pathways.
Sometime in the future the author predicts that either humans, and/or robotic vehicles will exploit mineral resources outside the planet Earth. This is an apocalyptic vision for anyone with an interest in the future of our species
From Astronaut Abby, the dynamic founder of The Mars Generation, comes a book about dreaming big, reaching for the stars, and making a plan for success! From the age of four, Abigail Harrison knew she wanted to go to space. At age eleven, she sat down and wrote out a plan--not just for how to become an astronaut, but how to be the first astronaut to set foot on Mars. With a degree in biology, internships at NASA, and a national organization founded to help kids reach for the stars themselves, Astronaut Abby is well on her way to achieving her dreams--and she wants to help others do the same! In this book, readers will find helpful advice and practical tips that can help set them on the path toward finding, reaching for, and achieving their goals. With examples from Abby's own life, interactive activities to get readers going, and plenty of fun illustrations along the way, this is the perfect guide for anyone--of any age--with big dreams and plenty of determination. It's time to reach for the stars! Praise for Dream Big!: "With friendly encouragement . . . the content and approach are general enough to appeal both to STEM-oriented fans of the author as well as those whose interests lie in other areas . . . Fun and helpful." --Kirkus Reviews "Any young person who wants to achieve their dreams will find this comprehensive book helpful." --Booklist "The conversational style is easy to understand. . . . There are eye-catching fonts, icons, think bubbles, and callouts. . . . A recommended purchase for middle school and high school libraries. Counselors assisting high schoolers with college preparation and educators teaching leadership classes will find many of the journaling activities very useful." --School Library Journal
The only work to date to collect data gathered during the American and Soviet missions in an accessible and complete reference of current scientific and technical information about the Moon.
Bold is a radical how-to guide for using exponential technologies, moonshot thinking, and crowd-powered tools to create extraordinary wealth while also positively impacting the lives of billions. A follow-up to the authors' Abundance (2012).
