Extolling the virtues of skill and creativity which led the Rocket City Rednecks to complete weekend high-tech projects on television, ringleader Travis Taylor is promoting a space plan to get us back where we belong. He turns from building submarines and an Iron Man suit to the ultimate project...ensuring our future in space. That future is currently somewhat dimmed because we currently are without a way up there except on Russian rockets, even though taxpayer money paid for most of the International Space Station, directly or indirectly. Instead, we're actually discussing letting the ISS crash back to earth after it's final mission. Taylor says this is stupid. Even the failing Mir space station could've been boosted into lunar impact to provide a ready-made salvage yard for future astronauts.
A major factor in getting back into space with a plan that includes in American-made NASA rockets (while bridging the gap with a recommissioned Space Shuttle) is the waste caused by simple politics. JFK and LBJ got us to the moon. Even Nixon couldn't kill the moon landings by the time he took office (so instead he got his name on a plaque on the moon about the time he cut NASA's budget so that they had to cancel the last two planned Apollo moonflights after pretty much all the money had been spent upfront)(There ain't no justice.) More recently, Bush had a plan to return to the moon and that plan had progressed quite far along when the Obama administration took over and put it down like it was a rabid werewolf. Then started fresh so they didn't have to share credit with Bush. That can be expected to happen again and Taylor says we need to develop a system that will have permanency (He is right, but good luck with that one).
Robert Zubrin suggested sending a couple rockets to Mars with automated factories aboard to turn out fuel after which the manned launch can get underway. Taylor's suggestion supplements that, recommending we spend the next 10 years sending rockets filled with useful supplies to Mars in anticipation of a long manned trip because no one will be satisfied with a photo op.
On the other hand, unlike many who give high priority to a trip straight to Mars, Taylor sensibly suggests a return to the Moon.
Among the reasons given is an irrefutable national security issue. If China gets there first, what can anyone do if they claim the entire moon for themselves? Waive a UN treaty in their face? Sic Captain Kirk on them?
Taylor makes clear the government has to take the point on this mission. He dismisses private enterprise for anything except orbital work. There's just too much money required for the project despite some Administration desires to slough off the government's responsibilities to private enterprise.
There's much more to his plan of course, and this entertaining book does a great job of filling you in and getting your imagination flowing.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Follow the authors
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from other countries
Mr. M. Beeers
I thought this book was going to show how they ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2015