National Space Society

February 2014

Welcome to the NSS blog. Feel free to comment on any post (comments are moderated so won’t show up immediately). Contributors to the NSS Blog are unpaid volunteers. Unless specifically labeled an NSS position or press release, all blog posts represent the views of the author and not of NSS, even if written by an NSS officer.

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A strong case for harnessing space solar power is presented in this ground-breaking new book. Author John C. Mankins, one of the foremost experts in...

Category: Children’s Book Reviewed by: Susan Raizer Title: Max Goes to the Space Station Author: Jeffrey Bennett Illustrator: Michael Carroll Ages: 4-12 NSS Amazon link...

Category: Fiction Reviewed by: Dale L. Skran, Jr. Title: On the Steel Breeze Author: Alastair Reynolds NSS Amazon link for this book Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Kindle Pages:...

Category: Non-Fiction Reviewed by: Jim Plaxco From Ad Astra Winter 2013 Title: Fundamentals of Space Business and Economics Author: Ozgur Gurtuna NSS Amazon link for...

Category: Non-Fiction Reviewed by: David Brandt-Erichsen From Ad Astra Winter 2013 Title: SpaceX: Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality Author: Erik Seedhouse NSS Amazon link for...

The National Space Society takes great pleasure in announcing that its 2014 Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Award has been won by acclaimed space entrepreneur Elon...

On February 15, 2013, a meteor exploded over the Chelyabinsk region of Russia. The blast damaged over 7,000 buildings and almost 1,500 people suffered injuries...

The Russian National Anthem, presented Friday, February 7, at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies. At about 1:45, cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev, Yelena Serova, Svetlana...

  Deke Slayton, Bob Crippen, and John Young pose with STYLE at Third Century America, Kennedy Space Center, in 1976. NASA photo.  Now that I...

From CBS This Morning: 2-minute video after 30-second advertisement. Transcript after about 40 seconds: “We’ve got to restore American ability to transport astronauts with domestic...

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Book Reviews

Lunacy

Lunacy: A Book Review Essay

This long essay defends the NSS Vision against those who, like the author of the book being reviewed, think “we shouldn’t colonize Mars or the Moon, or even vacation there.” Ben Bramble, an Australian philosopher who teaches at Australian National University, has penned a YAASS (Yet Another Anti-Space-Settlement) book. These books are multiplying like flies, so space settlement advocates must be gaining ground to generate such an abundant response.

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HOTOLSkylon

Book Review: HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes

In HOTOL & Skylon: The Story of Britain’s Spaceplanes, Rob Coppinger covers the story of both in great detail, with the reminiscences of many who played integral roles in these ambitious programs. The book shines when it captures the enthusiasm and excitement of those involved, and there are extensive quotes from many who devoted years of work on these projects.

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Out of This World

Book Review: Out of This World

Anyone seeking a short but comprehensive introduction to human spaceflight would do well to start with this book. It reviews its history, highlights the accomplishments and tragedies, and describes the equipment used. It also looks at living in space, what space travelers experience, and how they work.

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