Laika began her life as a stray dog on the streets of Moscow and died in 1957 aboard the Soviet satellite Sputnik II. Initially the USSR reported that Laika, the first animal to orbit the earth, had survived in space for seven days, providing valuable data that would make future manned space flight possible. People believed that Laika died a painless death as her oxygen ran out. Only in recent decades has the real story become public: Laika died after only a few hours in orbit when her capsule overheated. Laika's Window positions Laika as a long overdue hero for leading the way to human space exploration. Kurt Caswell examines Laika's life and death and the speculation surrounding both. Profiling the scientists behind Sputnik II, he studies the political climate driven by the Cold War and the Space Race that expedited the satellite's development. Through this intimate portrait of Laika, we begin to understand what the dog experienced in the days and hours before the launch, what she likely experienced during her last moments, and what her flight means to history and to humanity. While a few of the other space dog flights rival Laika's in endurance and technological advancements, Caswell argues that Laika's flight serves as a tipping point in space exploration "beyond which the dream of exploring nearby and distant planets opened into a kind of fever from which humanity has never recovered." Examining the depth of human empathy-what we are willing to risk and sacrifice in the name of scientific achievement and our exploration of the cosmos, and how politics and marketing can influence it-Laika's Windowis also about our search to overcome loneliness and the role animals play in our drive to look far beyond the earth for answers.

One day, humans will travel to Mars... This book tells you everything you would need to know about a trip to the red planet. From essential preparations for your journey, through to the local climate and landscape, things to do, places to visit and the background, culture and natural history of the latest `must-visit' destination for mankind. Activities for your holiday could include anything from sandboarding to hiking up Olympus Mons and from glacier ice trekking to a visit to the magnificent oxygen factories of the Tharsis Bulge. Also included are special features such as lists of `What Not To Miss', `Top Ten Favourite Excursions', and `What To Do On a 2-Day Visit or a 7-Day Visit.' In the next few years, the dream of a journey to Mars may become a reality... Get ready ahead of the rush with this invaluable guide.

Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the Universe's history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to imaging thousands of galaxies, and even to visualising an actual black hole. There's a lot for astronomers to be smug about. But when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew up we are literally in the dark ages. In effect, we are missing the first one billion years from the timeline of the Universe. This brief but far-reaching period in the Universe's history, known to astrophysicists as the 'Epoch of Reionisation', represents the start of the cosmos as we experience it today. The time when the very first stars burst into life, when darkness gave way to light. After hundreds of millions of years of dark, uneventful expansion, one by the one these stars suddenly came into being. This was the point at which the chaos of the Big Bang first began to yield to the order of galaxies, black holes and stars, kick-starting the pathway to planets, to comets, to moons, and to life itself. Incorporating the very latest research into this branch of astrophysics, this book sheds light on this time of darkness, telling the story of these first stars, hundreds of times the size of the Sun and a million times brighter, lonely giants that lived fast and died young in powerful explosions that seeded the Universe with the heavy elements that we are made of. Emma Chapman tells us how these stars formed, why they were so unusual, and what they can teach us about the Universe today. She also offers a first-hand look at the immense telescopes about to come on line to peer into the past, searching for the echoes and footprints of these stars, to take this period in the Universe's history from the realm of theoretical physics towards the wonder of observational astronomy.

One of the most powerful questions we ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? The Possibility of Life traces the history of our understanding of what and where life in the universe could be, from Galileo and Copernicus through to our current tracking of exoplanets in the Goldilocks zone, where life akin to ours on Earth might exist. Along the way, Jaime Green studies insights from a long tradition of science fiction that uses imagination to extrapolate and construct worlds, in turn inspiring scientists and their research. Bringing together expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy, philosophical inquiry and pop culture touchstones ranging from A Wrinkle in Time to Star Trek, The Possibility of Life delves into our evolving conception of the cosmos to pose an even deeper question: what does it mean to be human?

What stories, mysteries and secrets can you find in the stars? A wonderful illustrated tour of the night sky for children aged 5+ years. Lara Hawthorne's beautiful illustrations take the reader on one of the most fascinating journeys that humankind has ever made and one that is common to us all. From ancient Egyptians building the pyramids, to early Polynesian sailors criss-crossing the Pacific Ocean, and astronauts travelling into space, the night sky has guided and inspired people across the world, and throughout time. Now it's your turn to look to the skies and discover the mysteries they hide. For fans of Usborne's Big Books of Stars and Planets and Dr Emily Grossman's World-Whizzing Facts!

The Production and consumption of alcohol has played a significant role in human society since the dawn of civilization. Will this still hold true when humanity is exploring and Settling the outer reaches of space? This first book on the topic examines the history of alcohol in space, as well as dozens of companies and projects that are exploring the possibilities of interstellar alcohol Production. Covering the long history of alcohol in human society, how alcohol has been addressed in science fiction, and space agriculture technologies, this book investigates a broad sweep of questions that bear on the manufacture of alcohol in space, as well as human space Settlement in general.

This short book grapples with two vast questions: the nature of our minds, and our place in the wider universe. It considers how one mutually influences the development of the other. The changes and challenges that will accompany the first humans to leave Earth and travel to another planet, or even further, will not only impact our technical capabilities, but will also represent a watershed moment within our individual and collective human psychology. Many of the problems of resource use, environmental degradation, and waste or destructive processes are contained in the larger process of exploring another environment and planet. But This book also offers a shift in perspective that allows us to consider humanity from an alternative, more holistic perspective, reappraising our own minds both individually and within dynamic social processes. The Psychology of Space Exploration considers our place and purpose in the widest possible perspective, that of space exploration and the natural universe. It doesn't seek to answer these questions, but provides a perspective to explore even further.

Primitive Meteorites and Asteroids: Physical, Chemical, and Spectroscopic Observations Paving the Way to Exploration covers the physical, chemical and spectroscopic aspects of asteroids, providing important data and research on carbonaceous chondrites and primitive meteorites. This information is crucial to the success of missions to parent bodies, thus contributing to an understanding of the early solar system. The book offers an interdisciplinary perspective relevant to many fields of planetary science, as well as cosmochemistry, planetary astronomy, astrobiology, geology and space engineering. Including contributions from planetary and missions scientists worldwide, the book collects the fundamental knowledge and cutting-edge research on carbonaceous chondrites and their parent bodies into one accessible resource, thus contributing to the future of space exploration.

On July 14, 2015, something amazing happened. More than 3 billion miles from Earth, a small NASA spacecraft called New Horizons screamed past Pluto at more than 32,000 miles per hour, focusing its instruments on the long mysterious icy worlds of the Pluto system, and then continued on its journey out into the beyond. Nothing like this has occurred in a generation - a raw exploration of new worlds unparalleled since NASA's Voyager missions - and nothing like it is planned to happen again. The photos that New Horizons sent back to Earth graced the front pages of newspapers on all 7 continents, and NASA's website for the mission received more than 2 billion hits in the days surrounding the flyby. At a time when so many think our most historic achievements are in the past, the most distant planetary exploration ever attempted not only succeeded but made history and captured the world's imagination. How did this happen? Chasing New Horizons is the story of the men and women behind the mission: of their decades-long commitment; of the political fights within and outside of NASA; of the sheer human ingenuity it took to design, build, and fly the mission. Told from the insider's perspective of Dr. Alan Stern, Chasing New Horizons is a riveting story of scientific discovery, and of how far humanity can go when we work together toward an incredible goal.

Embark on an awe-inspiring and informative journey through our Solar System and beyond in this illuminating astronomy book! Discover how big the Universe is, why our view of the sky is constantly changing, what came before the Big Bang, and so much more. 3, 2, 1, blast off! Inside the pages of this comprehensive guide to astronomy for beginners, you'll discover: - Simple text and step-by-step graphics make astronomy easy to understand - Fun facts and tip-of-the-tongue questions are presented through bite-sized factoids and question-and-answer features - Clear explanations demystifying more advanced topics such as cosmic rays, dark matter, and black hole collisions An out-of-this-world reference book about space that introduces you to the weird and wonderful world of astronomy and space exploration. From the structure of the Milky Way to the Earth's nearest celestial body, the Moon, How Space Works takes you on an unforgettable tour through the stars and galaxies, and to the furthest reaches of space! Answering all your burning questions about space, from ancient white dwarf stars to the Mars Rover, this visual guide explains the basics of astronomy through bold graphics and step-by-step artworks. It's the ultimate book for armchair astronomers and space-technology enthusiasts looking for reliable and up-to-date facts and explanations. DK's How Things Work series uses dynamic graphics and jargon-free text to explain the modern world simply and clearly. Packed with fascinating facts and stats, these visual guides cover everything from science to philosophy, making complex topics more accessible than ever before!

With a focus of the Perseverance rover mission, here is the "Quintessential account of one of humanity's most intriguing quests" (Pail Halpern, Medium), "A remarkable, timely, and up-to-date account of Mars exploration" (Leonard David, "Space Insider," Space.com). From The War of the Worlds to The Martian and to the amazing photographs sent back by the robotic rovers Curiosity and Opportunity, Mars has excited our imaginations as the most likely other habitat for life in the solar system. Now the Red Planet is coming under scrutiny as never before. As new missions are scheduled to launch this year from the United States and China, and with the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission now scheduled for 2022, this book recounts in full the greatest scientific detective story ever. For the first time in forty years, the missions heading to Mars will look for signs of ancient life on the world next door. It is the latest chapter in an age-old quest that encompasses myth, false starts, red herrings, and bizarre coincidences-as well as triumphs and heartbreaking failures. This book, by two journalists with deep experience covering space exploration, is the definitive story of how life's discovery has eluded us to date, and how it will be found somewhere and sometime this century. The Search for Life on Mars is based on more than a hundred interviews with experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and elsewhere, who share their insights and stories. While it looks back to the early Mars missions such as Viking 1 and 2, the book's focus is on the experiments and revelations from the most recent ones-including Curiosity, which continues to explore potentially habitable sites where water was once present, and the Mars Insight lander, which has recorded more than 450 marsquakes since its deployment in late 2018-as well as on the Perseverance and ExoMars rover missions ahead. And the book looks forward to the newest, most exciting frontier of all: the day, not too far away, when humans will land, make the Red Planet their home, and look for life directly.

Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations is a comprehensive, technical look at the necessary considerations for interstellar travel addressed by leading experts in the field, from scientists studying possible destinations (exoplanets) and the vast distances between, to those concerned with building institutions and capabilities in society that could sustain such endeavors. In addition to the technical, medical, and anthropological aspects of deep space travel, the ethics and morality of spreading Earth-based life to other worlds is also examined. In the first book of a three-book compilation, Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations offers in-depth, up-to-date and realistic technical and scientific considerations in the pursuit of interstellar travel and is an integral reference for scientists, engineers, researchers and academics working on, or interested in, space development and space technologies. With a renewed interest in space exploration and development evidenced by the rise of the commercial space sector and various governments now planning to send humans back to the moon and to Mars, so also is interest in taking the next steps beyond the Solar System and to the ultimate destination - planets circling other stars.

Space telescopes are among humankind's greatest scientific achievements of the last fifty years. This book describes the instruments themselves and what they were designed to discover about the Solar System and distant stars. Exactly how these telescopes were built and launched and the data they provided is explored. Only certain kinds of radiation can penetrate our planet's atmosphere, which limits what we can observe. But with space telescopes all this changed. We now have the means to "see" beyond Earth using ultraviolet, microwave, and infrared rays, X-rays and gamma rays. In this book we meet the pioneers and the telescopes that were built around their ideas. This book looks at space telescopes not simply chronologically but also in order of the electromagnetic spectrum, making it possible to understand better why they were made.

Learn from Kellie Gerardi What It's Like to Be a Female Astronaut "Kellie is probably one of the best ambassadors for spaceflight in the 21st century that the industry could have." Lucy Hawking, author of George's Secret Key to the Universe and host of Audible's Lucy in the Sky. #1 Bestseller in Astronomy & Space Science, Universe Follow aerospace science professional Kellie Gerardi's non-traditional path in the space industry as she guides and encourages anyone who has ever dreamed about stars, the solar system, and the galaxies in space. Ever wondered what it's like to work in outer space? In this candid science memoir and career guide, Kellie Gerardi offers an inside look into the industry beginning to eclipse Silicon Valley. Whether you have a space science degree or are looking to learn about stars, Kellie Gerardi's, Not Necessarily Rocket Science proves there's room for anyone who is passionate about exploration. What it's like to be a woman in space. With a space background and a mission to democratize access to space, this female astronaut candidate offers a front row seat to the final frontier. From her adventures training for Mars to testing spacesuits in microgravity, this unique handbook provides inspiration and guidance for aspiring female astronauts everywhere. Look inside for answers to questions like: Will there be beer on Mars? Why do I need to do one-handed pushups in microgravity? How can I possibly lose a fortune in outer space? If you're looking for women in science gifts, astronomy books for adults, or NASA stories or enjoyed, the Galaxy Girls book, Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson, or How to Astronaut then you'll love Not Necessarily Rocket Science.

Water Worlds in the Solar System: In Search of Habitable Environments and Life is a comprehensive reference on the formation, availability, habitability potential, and astrobiological implications of water in the Solar System. The book provides understanding of the importance of water on Earth to elucidate potential water and biosignature sources on other bodies in the Solar System. It covers processes involved in the formation of Earth and its Moon, genesis of water on those bodies, events on early Earth, and other processes that are applicable to celestial bodies in the Solar System, directly correlating data available on water on other bodies to over 15 Earth analogue sites. This book forms a comprehensive overview on water in the Solar System, from formation to biosignature and habitability considerations. It is ideal for academics, researchers and students working in the field of planetary science, extraterrestrial water research and habitability potential.

This textbook is a compendium for further education of students and professionals in aerospace industry. It covers the fundamentals of aerospace and explains the details of technical implementations. These are organised in the border area of technical feasibility. The authors discuss constraints of space flight and key elements of rocket motors and power supply in more detail. The accessibility of the celestial bodies is tabulated and documented in the outlook chapter, in which the largest vision of space flight, humans to Mars, is explained. From the content: Historical Background Basic Principles Propulsion Systems Missions Energy Sources Materials and Lubricants Processes Products Projects and Payloads Launch Sites Environmental and Boundary Conditions Conclusions and Outlook Appendix with an extensive collection of formulas

Principles of Nuclear Rocket Propulsion provides an understanding of the physical principles underlying the design and operation of nuclear fission-based rocket engines. While there are numerous texts available describing rocket engine theory and nuclear reactor theory, this is the first book available describing the integration of the two subject areas. Most of the book's emphasis is primarily on nuclear thermal rocket engines, wherein the energy of a nuclear reactor is used to heat a propellant to high temperatures and then expel it through a nozzle to produce thrust. Other concepts are also touched upon such as a section devoted to the nuclear pulse rocket concept wherein the force of externally detonated nuclear explosions is used to accelerate a spacecraft. Future crewed space missions beyond low earth orbit will almost certainly require propulsion systems with performance levels exceeding that of today's best chemical engines. A likely candidate for that propulsion system is the solid core Nuclear Thermal Rocket or NTR. Solid core NTR engines are expected to have performance levels which significantly exceed that achievable by any currently conceivable chemical engine. The challenge is in the engineering details of the design which includes not only the thermal, fluid, and mechanical aspects always present in chemical rocket engine development, but also nuclear interactions and some unique materials restrictions.

Looking at the night sky, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s all quiet up there in space. But you’d be wrong. Extreme events are forever unfolding: galaxies explode, cosmic debris hurtles through the heavens and our own Milky Way is on a collision course with the giant Andromeda galaxy.

Mayhem moulded the cosmos, shaped life on Earth and at times threatened to end it. With an enduring sense of wonder, through cataclysms great and small, Bob Berman presents a destructive history of our universe.

Light of the Stars tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Building on his widely discussed scientific papers and The New York Times op-eds, astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilisations have existed many times before but that many of them have driven their own worlds into dangerous eras of change. He explains how dust storms on Mars, the greenhouse effect on Venus, Gaia Theory, the threat of nuclear winter, and efforts to prove or disprove the plurality of worlds from Aristotle to Copernicus to Carl Sagan have contributed to our understanding of our place in the universe and the growing challenge of climate change. And he explores what may be the largest question of all: if there has been life on other worlds, what its presence can tell us about our own fate.

The story behind the elite scientists, technologists, SF enthusiasts, and billionaires who believe that humanity's destiny is to populate the stars . . . Does humanity have a destiny "in the stars?" Should a species triggering massive extinctions on its own planet instead stay put? This new book traces the waxing and waning of interest in space settlement through the decades, and offers a journalistic tour through the influential subculture attempting to shape a multiplanetary future. What motivates figures such as billionaires Elon Musk and Yuri Milner? How important have science fiction authors and filmmakers been in stirring enthusiasm for actual space exploration and settlement? Is there a coherent motivating philosophy and ethic behind the spacefaring dream? Star Settlers offers both a historical perspective and a journalistic window into a peculiar subculture packed with members of the scientific, intellectual, and economic elite. This timely work captures the extra-scientific zeal for space travel and settlement, places it in its historical context, and tackles the somewhat surreal conceptions underlying the enterprise and prognoses for its future.

On July 20th, 1969, over half of the world's population tuned in to witness the first lunar landing, waiting with bated breath as Neil Armstrong ventured outside the cabin door of Apollo 11 and declared "that's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." As the most expensive civilian scientific and technological program in American history, Project Apollo symbolised the unmatched prestige of American space exploration. Yet despite appearances, the project was never just about winning the Space Race, advancing scientific progress, or even conquering the final frontier. Instead, the ambitions of Project Apollo would ultimately reveal that the American government was more interested in establishing its superiority much closer to home. In Operation Moonglow, Smithsonian curator Teasel Muir-Harmony explores how and why the moon landing became one of the most decisive geopolitical events of the 20th century. In the wake of the Soviet Union's pioneering launch of Sputnik in 1957 and a humiliating defeat at the Bay of Pigs four years later, President John F. Kennedy approached a budget-wary Congress with Project Apollo, an unconventional proposal that had the potential to restore America's tarnished geopolitical standing. With Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States approaching an all-time high, Kennedy argued that ramping up the space program would inspire global confidence in American excellence -- and might even persuade people in developing countries to pick American "freedom" over Soviet "tyranny." Following the successful return of Apollo 11, its illustrious crew embarked on a diplomatic tour around the world, celebrating the mission as an accomplishment for all of humanity. Meanwhile, the accompanying American officials used the trip as an opportunity to conduct secret meetings with influential heads of state, leveraging the space program's global popularity to advance American values and interests. More than just a history of spaceships, astronauts, and moon rocks, Operation Moonglow is a history of geopolitical manoeuvring, of propaganda and public diplomacy, and -- above all -- of the intricate relationship between scientific innovation and national identity. Featuring first-hand accounts by Apollo astronauts, original interviews with USIA and NASA staff, and never-before-seen archival materials, Operation Moonglow is the definitive account of the Apollo mission -- and a fascinating look at how the Space Race shaped the contours of globalisation and global interdependence.

"The Early Evolution of the Atmospheres of Terrestrial Planets" presents the main processes participating in the atmospheric evolution of terrestrial planets. A group of experts in the different fields provide an update of our current knowledge on this topic. Several papers in this book discuss the key role of nitrogen in the atmospheric evolution of terrestrial planets. The earliest setting and evolution of planetary atmospheres of terrestrial planets is directly associated with accretion, chemical differentiation, outgassing, stochastic impacts, and extremely high energy fluxes from their host stars. This book provides an overview of the present knowledge of the initial atmospheric composition of the terrestrial planets. Additionally it includes some papers about the current exoplanet discoveries and provides additional clues to our understanding of Earth's transition from a hot accretionary phase into a habitable world. All papers included were reviewed by experts in their respective fields. We are living in an epoch of important exoplanet discoveries, but current properties of these exoplanets do not match our scientific predictions using standard terrestrial planet models. This book deals with the main physio-chemical signatures and processes that could be useful to better understand the formation of rocky planets.

The subject of wave-particle interactions occurring in space plasmas has developed strongly, both observationally and theoretically, since the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts of energetic charged particles trapped in the Earth's magnetosphere over forty years ago. These wave-particle interactions are recognized today as being a most important research topic in space plasma physics. This book provides a full and systematic description of the physical theory of whistler and Alfven cyclotron masers acting in planetary magnetospheres, and in the Sun's outer atmosphere. The book introduces research topics by examining significant problems in the subject. It gives sufficient detail on the topic that readers can go on to apply the methods presented to new problems, helping them with their own research. This book is a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students working in space science, solar-terrestrial physics, plasma physics, and planetary sciences.

This book carries out approximate estimates of the costs of implementing ISRU on the Moon and Mars. It is found that no ISRU process on the Moon has much merit. ISRU on Mars can save a great deal of mass, but there is a significant cost in prospecting for resources and validating ISRU concepts. Mars ISRU might have merit, but not enough data are available to be certain. In addition, this book provides a detailed review of various ISRU technologies. This includes three approaches for Mars ISRU based on processing only the atmosphere: solid oxide electrolysis, reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS), and absorbing water vapor directly from the atmosphere. It is not clear that any of these technologies are viable although the RWGS seems to have the best chance. An approach for combining hydrogen with the atmospheric resource is chemically very viable, but hydrogen is needed on Mars. This can be approached by bringing hydrogen from Earth or obtaining water from near-surface water deposits in the soil. Bringing hydrogen from Earth is problematic, so mining the regolith to obtain water seems to be the only way to go. This will require a sizable campaign to locate and validate useable water resources. Technologies for lunar ISRU are also reviewed, even though none of them provide significant benefits to near-term lunar missions. These include oxygen from lunar regolith, solar wind volatiles from regolith, and extraction of polar ice from permanently shaded craters.

This book explores the character and contours of the Asian Space Powers. At present, Asian states like China, Japan and India are found investing in space technologies with analogous social and scientific and probably with divergent military intents. Other Asian states like Israel, South Korea and Malaysia are also making investments in the space arena. States like Iran and North Korea are faulted for using space launches as a demonstrative tool to achieve strategic objectives. This work examines this entire maze of activities to unearth where these states are making these investments to accomplish their state-specific goal or are they also trying to surpass each other by engaging in competition. Explaining why and how these states are making investments towards achieving their socio-economic and strategic mandate this book infers that the possibility of Asian Space Race exists but is presently fairly diminutive.