The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

The search for life outside the Earth has been one of the biggest quests of mankind. We have reached a level in technology that allows the first steps towards a scientific investigation. The aim of this workshop was to take an interdisciplinary look at the signatures that would be indicative for past or present life on another planet, to compare them to biosignatures on Earth, and to discuss state-of-the-art in-situ instruments that are envisioned to search for these signatures in the exploration of the solar system as well as concepts for the search for habitable planets around other stars.

When NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott first saw the Earth from space, she was filled with awe. Our shared home was a brilliant blue marble, with a razor thin atmosphere protecting billions of people, including everyone she loved. She realized that we are all bound together on this fragile planet. When she came back to earth, she knew she had to share this vision to help protect it. Stott knows the scale of the daunting task at hand-and yet, she believes we can set aside our differences and work together to tackle the most challenging planetary problems humanity has ever faced. She knows this, because she's seen it happen, on the International Space Station. Throughout her book, Stott imparts hard-won lessons in high-stakes problem solving, survival, and responding to crisis in space. On a space station, astronauts can't wait for someone else to handle a rescue; and when it comes to our earthbound problems, Stott learned that everyone should live like a crewmember, not like a passenger. In space, where everyone survives in a closed system, everything is local-and Stott discovered that in a profound way, the same is true back at home. Back to Earth distills these lessons and more into seven principles that can be practiced by each and every one of us to make much-needed change. In addition to sharing stories from her own spaceflight, Stott offers eye-opening insights from scientists and changemakers already sparking meaningful change in their communities and around the globe. She explores the complexities and splendor of the earth's biodiversity, and what it takes to preserve it, with both pioneering scientists on earth and engineers working to enable life in space. She meets with activists who use their time in space to advocate for clean water, and with executives who quit their corporate positions and use their global reach to become environmental leaders. Through her stirring call to action, Nicole Stott reveals how we each have the power to respect the Earth and one another-and to change our own lives in the process. And, while we're at it, we might just save humanity.

Our true origins are not only human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics and cosmology, Origins illuminates the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. This newly revised and updated edition features such startling discoveries as the more than 5,000 newly detected exoplanets that shed light on the origins of and possibilities for life in the cosmos, and data from a host of new ground-based and spaceborne observatories that has fundamentally changed what we know about the expanding universe-and maybe even the laws of physics. From the first image of a galaxy's birth to tantalising evidence of water not only on Mars but also on the asteroid Ceres, as well as moons of Jupiter and Saturn, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct an exhilarating tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance.

Magnetospheric Imaging: Understanding the Space Environment through Global Measurements is a state-of-the-art resource on new and advanced techniques and technologies used in measuring and examining the space environment on a global scale. Chapters detail this emergent field by exploring optical imaging, ultraviolet imaging, energetic neutral atom imaging, X-ray imaging, radio frequency imaging, and magnetic field imaging. Each technique is clearly described, with details about the technologies involved, how they work, and both their opportunities and limitations. Magnetospheric imaging is still a relatively young capability in magnetospheric research, hence this book is an ideal resource on this burgeoning field of study. This book is a comprehensive resource for understanding where the field stands, as well as providing a stepping stone for continued advancement of the field, from developing new techniques, to applying techniques on other planetary bodies.

This book is devoted to interfaces between two fluids, that is, between a liquid and a gas (such as water and air) or between two liquids (such as water and oil). The main motivation for the book is twenty years of experimentation in the microgravity environment of space, and the associated theory. This unique environment has made possible numerous qualitative and quantitative observations of effects that are masked by gravity on earth. Large liquid surfaces have been created and their stability and dynamics have been studied. The experimental insights gained have, in turn, strongly stimulated further theoretical and mathematical investigations. Advancing and receding contact angles, wetting barriers, pinning of contact lines, oscillations of capillary surfaces and fluid sloshing are also discussed.

Many scientific papers and popular articles have been written on the topic of space tourism, describing everything from expected market sizes to the rules of 3-dimensional microgravity football. But what would it actually feel like to be a tourist in space, to be hurled into orbit on top of a controlled explosion, to float around in a spacecraft, and to be able to look down on your hometown from above the atmosphere? Space tourism is not science fiction anymore, Michel van Pelt tells us, but merely a logical step in the evolution of space flight. Space is about to be opened up to more and more people, and the drive behind this is one of the most powerful economic forces: tourism. Van Pelt describes what recreational space travel might look like, and explains the required space technology, the medical issues, astronaut training, and the possibilities of holidays to destinations far, far away. This is a book for everyone who has ever dreamed of traveling to space: a dream which, according to van Pelt, may not be so far from becoming a reality. Consider it the armchair traveler's guide to the coming boom in space tourism.

NASA's MESSENGER mission, launched on 3 August, 2004 is the seventh mission in the Discovery series. MESSENGER encounters the planet Mercury four times, culminating with an insertion into orbit on 18 March 2011. It carries a comprehensive package of geophysical, geological, geochemical, and space environment experiments to complete the complex investigations of this solar-system end member begun with Mariner 10. The articles in this book, written by the experts in each area of the MESSENGER mission, describe the mission, spacecraft, scientific objectives, and payload. The book is of interest to all potential users of the data returned by the MESSENGER mission, to those studying the nature of Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, and by all those interested in the design and implementation of planetary exploration missions.

Mars Geological Enigmas: From the Late Noachian Epoch to the Present Day presents outstanding questions on the geology of Mars and divergent viewpoints based on varying interpretations and analyses. The result is a robust and comprehensive discussion that provides opportunities for planetary scientists to develop their own opinions and ways forward. Each theme opens with an introduction that includes background on the topic and lays out questions to be addressed. Alternate perspectives are covered for each topic, including methods, observations, analyses, and in-depth discussion of the conclusions. Chapters within each theme reference each other to facilitate comparison and deeper understanding of divergent opinions.

There is an unbridged gap between human aspirations to travel into space and the barriers to realizing such dreams. Despite optimistic predictions, a viable space tourism industry has yet to emerge, with only a handful of 'millionaire' space tourists having experienced travel in outer space. Space tourism remains an elusive dream. This is the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary work on the emergent phenomenon of space tourism. Leading specialists from a range of fields cover a wide spectrum of topics including the space history and technology underpinning current developments; space tourists' motivations; and the environmental, social, and legal aspects concomitant with a space tourism industry. The book is unique in its focus on virtual forms of space travel, such as those manifesting in virtual reality, films, and games. The volume takes a nuanced and critical approach to the development of aspirations to leave Earth, stressing the far-reaching implications for the environment and for human life and society on Earth. The book is written in an approachable manner, making it accessible to both academics and the interested general reader. Owing to its interdisciplinary character, it should be of interest to practitioners and teachers across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists.

The COSPAR Colloquium on Solar-Terrestrial Magnetic Activity and Space Environment (STMASE) was held in the National Astronomy Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) in Beijing, China in September 10-12, 2001. The meeting was focused on five areas of the solar-terrestrial magnetic activity and space environment studies, including study on solar surface magnetism; solar magnetic activity, dynamical response of the heliosphere; space weather prediction; and space environment exploration and monitoring. A hot topic of space research, CMEs, which are widely believed to be the most important phenomenon of the space environment, is discussed in many papers. Other papers show results of observational and theoretical studies toward better understanding of the complicated image of the magnetic coupling between the Sun and the Earth, although little is still known little its physical background. Space weather prediction, which is very important for a modern society expanding into out-space, is another hot topic of space research. However, a long way is still to go to predict exactly when and where a disaster will happen in the space. In that sense, there is much to do for space environment exploration and monitoring. The manuscripts submitted to this Monograph are divided into the following parts: (1) solar surface magnetism, (2) solar magnetic activity, (3) dynamical response of the heliosphere, (4) space environment exploration and monitoring; and (5) space weather prediction. Papers presented in this meeting but not submitted to this Monograph are listed by title as unpublished papers at the end of this book.

The Volcanoes of Mars offers a clear, cohesive summary of Mars volcanology. It begins with an introduction to the geology and geography of the red planet and an overview of its volcanic history, and continues to discuss each distinct volcanic province, identifying the common and unique aspects of each region. Incorporating basic volcanological information and constraints on the regional geologic history derived from geologic mapping, the book also examines current constraints on the composition of the volcanic rocks as investigated by both orbiting spacecraft and rovers. In addition, it compares the features of Martian volcanoes to those seen on other volcanic bodies. Concluding with prospects for new knowledge to be gained from future Mars missions, this book brings researchers in volcanology and the study of Mars up to date on the latest findings in the study of volcanoes on Mars, allowing the reader to compare and contrast Martian volcanoes to volcanoes studied on Earth and throughout the Solar System.

Spacecraft Collision Avoidance Technology presents the theory and practice of space collision avoidance. The title gives models of time and space environment, their impact on high-precision orbit prediction, considers optimal orbit determination methods and models in different warning stages, and establishes basic models for warning and avoidance. Chapters present an outline of spacecraft collision warning strategy, elaborate on the basics of orbital calculation for collision avoidance, consider space object detection technology, detail space environment and object orbit, give a method for spacecraft collision warning orbit calculation, and finally, demonstrate a strategy for spacecraft collision warning and avoidance.

The Dynamical Ionosphere: A Systems Approach to Ionospheric Irregularity examines the Earth's ionosphere as a dynamical system with signatures of complexity. The system is robust in its overall configuration, with smooth space-time patterns of daily, seasonal and Solar Cycle variability, but shows a hierarchy of interactions among its sub-systems, yielding apparent unpredictability, space-time irregularity, and turbulence. This interplay leads to the need for constructing realistic models of the average ionosphere, incorporating the increasing knowledge and predictability of high variability components, and for addressing the difficulty of dealing with the worst cases of ionospheric disturbances, all of which are addressed in this interdisciplinary book. Borrowing tools and techniques from classical and stochastic dynamics, information theory, signal processing, fluid dynamics and turbulence science, The Dynamical Ionosphere presents the state-of-the-art in dealing with irregularity, forecasting ionospheric threats, and theoretical interpretation of various ionospheric configurations.

Advanced Remote Sensing: Terrestrial Information Extraction and Applications, Second Edition, is a thoroughly updated application-based reference that provides a single source on the mathematical concepts necessary for remote sensing data gathering and assimilation. It presents state-of-the-art techniques for estimating land surface variables from a variety of data types, including optical sensors like RADAR and LIDAR. The book provides scientists in a number of different fields, including geography, geophysics, geology, atmospheric science, environmental science, planetary science and ecology with access to critically-important data extraction techniques and their virtually unlimited applications. While rigorous enough for the most experienced of scientists, the techniques presented are well designed and integrated, making the book's content intuitive and practical in its implementation.

The Trans-Neptunian Solar System is a timely reference highlighting the state-of-the-art in current knowledge on the outer solar system. It not only explores the individual objects being discovered there, but also their relationships with other Solar System objects and their roles in the formation and evolution of the Solar System and other planets. Integrating important findings from recent missions, such as New Horizons and Rosetta, the book covers the physical properties of the bodies in the Trans-Neptunian Region, including Pluto and other large members of the Kuiper Belt, as well as dynamical indicators for Planet 9 and related objects and future prospects. Offering a complete look at exploration and findings in the Kuiper Belt and the rest of the outer solar system beyond Neptune, this book is an important resource to bring planetary scientists, space scientists and astrophysicists up-to-date on the latest research and current understandings.

Spatial Cognitive Engine Technology discusses the increase in user demand for satellite wireless communication services that has led to the increasing development of spectrum resources and the fixed spectrum allocation mode which makes the utilization rate of spectrum resources lower. As an intelligent spectrum sharing technology, cognitive radio has innovated the traditional spectrum management system and is one of the effective ways to solve the above-mentioned problems. As the core of satellite cognitive radio, the spatial cognitive engine can use artificial intelligence to dynamically configure working parameters according to changes in the communication environment and user needs.