Mankind Beyond Earth: The History, Science, and Future of Human Space Exploration

by Claude A. Piantadosi

Seeking to reenergize Americans' passion for the space program, the value of further exploration of the Moon, and the importance of human beings on the final frontier, Claude A. Piantadosi presents a rich history of American space exploration and its major achievements. He emphasizes the importance of reclaiming national command of our manned program and continuing our unmanned space missions, and he stresses the many adventures that still await us in the unfolding universe. Acknowledging space exploration's practical and financial obstacles, Piantadosi challenges us to revitalize American leadership in space exploration in order to reap its scientific bounty.

Piantadosi explains why space exploration, a captivating story of ambition, invention, and discovery, is also increasingly difficult and why space experts always seem to disagree. He argues that the future of the space program requires merging the practicalities of exploration with the constraints of human biology. Space science deals with the unknown, and the margin (and budget) for error is small. Lethal near-vacuum conditions, deadly cosmic radiation, microgravity, vast distances, and highly scattered resources remain immense physical problems. To forge ahead, America needs to develop affordable space transportation and flexible exploration strategies based in sound science. Piantadosi closes with suggestions for accomplishing these goals, combining his healthy skepticism as a scientist with an unshakable belief in space's untapped -- and wholly worthwhile -- potential.

Genres: Science, History, Space, Nonfiction, Technology, Futurism

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's easy to imagine a typical reader starting Claude Piantadosi's book with a Carl Sagan-like sense of optimism on the inevitability of humanity voyaging into a brilliant interstellar future. It is equally easy to imagine the same reader finishing the text and barely wanting to leave their home, let alone the planet.

The title chosen here is "Mankind Beyond Earth: The History, Science and Future of Human Space Exploration", but a better line for the cover might be "Mankind Beyond Earth: Reality Check", as for much of this excellent book Piantadosi presents a sobering account of the huge challenges we face in journeying beyond the Karman Line - the edge of space.

He does so not with the short-sighted glee of a Tea Party acolyte looking to savage Big Government's NASA spend, but with the cool scientific detachment of someone who has simply looked at the evidence and found a complex problem - the description of which makes up the meat of this book.

In "Mankind Beyond Earth", the reader is taken through every inherent danger in space travel - from the obvious such as building reliable long term life support systems, through to the expected - solar radiation dangers - and then on to the fascinatingly obscure - for example how microgravity seems to turn otherwise routine Salomonella bacteria into rapidly mutating potential killers.

Along the way Piantadosi satisfyingly skewers the idea that humanity should "Go Long" in space exploration on the basis that we're well on the way to trashing our current home, reminding us that "our biology practically forces us to stay here [Earth]". His thesis, laid out as an explicit agenda at the start, is that the Moon, as "unsexy" as that may be to the "Mars First" types should be where we focus our effort, with a blend of robot and human exploration.

As per the title, there is some history here, but not much as expected and the balance is not what you'd think - the entire Mercury programme warrants just 9 lines of copy, whilst accounts of late 19th century exploration strangely get multiple pages, becoming a long walk down a rapidly narrowing literary alley well away from the Final Frontier. That said, whenever the author looks into the past it is always interesting, particularly his repeated comparisons between space and the extremes of Antarctic exploration and environment.

But, even if the science and history here is pleasing rigorous, sceptical and well-explained, in places the tone of the text is less admirable. Though the title is "Mankind Beyond Earth", the book is very US-centric, with the author a touch nationalistic about the Chinese space programme – worried that the US might "cede its technical edge" – and clearly unhappy that America is currently reliant on the Russians to put its astronauts into low earth orbit.

This is all fine, except for the odd point where the bias slips over in less-laudable sentiment - a line using the success rate of Russian Mars missions as a comparison point comes over as an unnecessarily cheap jibe. Elsewhere, in discussing a possible Chinese "One Way" Mars mission, his implication that the Taikonauts involved would be "volunteers" (stress on the quotation marks) is definitely below the belt. Dr Piantadosi is clearly a fully paid up subscriber to American Exceptionalism Monthly and might arguably wish to widen his perspective a touch.

But, these are rare and minor quibbles. In "Mankind Beyond Earth", Piantadosi offers an accessible rather than popular account of extra-planetary exploration which rewards the time and effort the average reader will have to invest to fully appreciate its thesis.

To the Moon we go, then! (And probably not much further beyond for now…)

My copy was supplied by Netgalley, but all opinions are my own

[Birgit · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Mankind Beyond Earth Claude A. Piantadosi presents a different focus among the multitude of books on space exploration. Emphasizing the importance of first returning to the Moon before even thinking about taking the big leap towards Mars, some may think the book offers a much too prudent approach, but does it really?
Not just reiterating historic events, but drawing a vivid picture of how space travel draws from eg polar science, which is one of the grandparents of space exploration, the author comes to the conclusion that despite what it may look like, a coherent plan for human space travel has not been developed yet.
Obviously traveling into outer space does not allow much leeway when it comes to errors and bringing feasibility of future space exploration on par with the limits of human biology is a crucial point. Thus we must continue to learn and what better way than settling up on Earth's natural satellite which would offer the chance for habitat development before attempting interplanetary missions? With robotic missions well under way, we are certainly taking the first step, but it's a fragile balance not just of scientific research, but politics as well as economic considerations.
Highly engrossing and accessible even for those who aren't science nuts, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which does not simply draw castles in the sky, but conveys a wonderful combination of sound science with a sense for adventure!
In short: Captivating tract on the importance of space exploration!

[Lewis Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge reader of science texts. I've read all the popular books and I like to delve into the less well known. I've honestly never heard of Professor Piantadosi nor have I read his work before.

The author looks at the history of space exploration and the barriers facing us in the future. As he says, space travel is not just about technology, it also about biology. He makes the point more than once that it is also about finances and politics. He starts off showing the passion of the people who made it to the moon and explains the difficulties they faced.

As we go through the book, he explains the importance of sustenance, waste removal, air for breathing, propulsion, distances, the effects of radiation on physiology and technology and so much more. Who will be the people exploring, what will they explore and how will they do it.

Some people may not like his style of writing. Like many scientific texts, it's written in a mostly informal essay style. While everything he says is related, he tends to jump around a bit. In the space of just a few pages, he explains the measurements we'll use in space (not just KM and light-year but AU and parsec), biomedicine, stress and the effects of radiation. Stuck in there is a great discussion of the people who live above 12,000 feet and how they have adapted to that life.

I say same people may not like it, but I found the entire thing to be fascinating. I've never seen some of the concepts explained as well as the author does it. There are a lot of topics I have never seen addressed for the layman.

This book is sort of like National Geographic for the Space Explorer. Maybe even a little popular mechanics thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes general space science. Give it a few chapters to decide whether nor not to finish. If you can make it to chapter 3, you'll have a good feel for his writing. I found it to be a bit quirky but, in the end, a great way to approach so many topics. Space travel really is complicated, more so than many people believe.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads giveways. I have always enjoyed learning about developments in space exploration especially as much of what we see today was science fiction in the past. This book not only deals with future exploration but the history of America's major achievements in this field. Piantadosi blends a hopeful view with healthy skepticism which gives legitimacy to his scientific viewpoint. He deals with unknowns like budget constraints, and the physical problems of space science, but offers sound strategies and a firm belief that what seems laden with problems can be achievable. This is a book I recommend to all those interested in the future of space exploration, and will certainly have the potential scientist and engineer in my family read it.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl Sagan said that mankind would have to explore space to survive. Yet budget and programme cuts mean NASA has to pay Russia $62.7 million per astronaut they carry to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz vessels. Written from an American point of view, but ultimately the view of humanity's future, this factual book reassesses the benefits and difficulties of space exploration.

Robots are cheaper and easier to send as explorers than to send all the support systems required by fragile humans. Yet manned space missions have given spinoff benefits, such as Teflon, better prosthetics, telemedicine, better preserved foods, better kidney dialysis machines and advances in aviation safety. Space science has given us satellites, so improved communications, forecasting and views of changing climates - and detection of near-flying asteroids. Research will benefit humanity, whether in the field of pure physics or seeing if a biodome can grow enough food to support life on the Moon.

Claude Piantadosi supports returning to the Moon, as a testing ground for the survival systems we will need to explore Mars. He analyses problems at NASA, explaining that when innovators get stifled by red tape and budget cuts they skip off to private industry. We have come an awe-inspiring distance since the start of the twentieth century, when heavier-than-air flight was first achieved by the Wrights. We have landed a robot on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, and Mars Rovers trundle across that planet and send back data.

Biomedicine explores how we can live under stressful conditions, such as a year or more in space. We see comparisons with Tibetan and Andean populations, each of which has found a different physiological adaptation to altitude. Polar explorations and undersea work are all steps along the journey. Space exploration to date is of course reprised, including the tragic accidents and misfires. Living off local and recycled resources is the only way to establish a stable habitat beyond the Moon, as the cost and difficulty of resupply would be prohibitive. The current technology for space travel is explained and combinations can be used, from solar power to nuclear power. Recycling and discovering local water and oxygen are top priority for any new base. Growing food and providing nutrients will be vital, as away from sunlight our vitamin D levels drop, and combined with microgravity our bones become brittle. The author explores the currently understood physiological alterations of space travel on astronauts, from osteoporosis to cancers. Radiation is a major hazard, both solar and background. And what to do with the trash, from human waste to food packaging? Is it ethical to start a waste dump on Mars?

As to where we can go, Venus is unfortunately a hazardously hot environment so Mars is the obvious challenge. We could also visit small bodies such as asteroids - the large Ceres would be a good target - or some moons of large but further planets, such as Titan and Ganymede. As for other stars, we would need fast propulsion to reach those in any reasonable timeframe.

I was astonished that Piantadosi still thinks Mercury is tidally locked to the sun (page 56). Possibly this was just badly phrased? We know now that due to orbital factors we see the same face each time it comes around, but the small planet does rotate and each 'day' on Mercury lasts two of its 'years'.

A certain level of astrophysics is required to get the best out of this book, but even looking up the Lagrange points on a site like Wikipedia will give helpful diagrams (there are diagrams in this book too) and astronomers from teens to adults will be fascinated. So many combined sciences are represented that we can see biologists, medics, engineers, chemists and mechanics will all be needed if Earth people are ever to call another planet home. If one section is outside your experience the next section may prove easier to understand. The omission which surprises me most is that of the Three-D Printer, by which an astronaut could insert a diagram for a tool or other item and the printer would build it layer by layer. We are also told nothing about intelligent glass and graphene.

As a lifelong science fiction fan I enjoyed catching up with some of the latest space exploration science in MANKIND BEYOND EARTH.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book says it was written for the non-expert. Well, that non-expert must know chemistry and physics a lot better than I do. The book goes into unnecessary detail and justification. Ok, radiation is a problem, and I can understand the reasons why it's a problem without the math behind it. There is also no need for a chemistry equation anywhere in this book, but there they are every 20 pages.

It's a shame because the book is otherwise a pleasure to read, makes great arguments, and explains those arguments with really good examples and analogies. Probably 1/2 of the book should have been footnoted, put into a sources list, or deleted altogether. Despite being really interested in the topic and conversant in everyman chemistry and physics, it took me about 3 months to finish this book because I got so frustrated by the details.

[Jose · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has devoted his career to human space exploration, I bought this book instantly. Finally I thought, a book that chronicles the true challenges of spaceflight and helps to define realistic goals for our space program. This does in fact do that, and introduces a good amount of skepticism along with optimism about our future. The book itself seems jumbled though, and the author has a habit of condensing very detailed information into a few pages. This makes the whole thing come off as boring, which is tough to say for a self proclaimed non-fiction nut. I think there is a good book somewhere in here where the main concepts and opinions can be described in a less dry way. It reads like a dry reference interspersed with an op-ed piece about the future of NASA.
All that said, i read it in two weeks over lunch breaks and enjoyed it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent book which went beyond the typical pop culture science approach to science and technology. This scientist shows in detail why space travel/colonization is much more challenging than most people realize. He is a firm believer that humanity needs to know what we are getting into, as we move forward with space homesteading and industrialization.

I was impressed enough with the book that I gave my copy to my very intelligent teenage nephew. I want him to be familiar with more than just the typical books and articles which make moving into space look like a cakewalk.

[Chris Nott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book.

This book analyzes our past ventures into space and uses that analysis to project what our future ventures into space will be like. The book does a great job of explaining concepts and why they are important for us to solve before we can make the further jumps into space exploration. This book takes a realistic approach to how we can advance into space and that's something which you rarely find in a non-college book.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in space exploration or if you are studying space related topics in college.

[Adam McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demonstrates the difficulties of space travel and the need for more risk taking and exploration with our ultimate goal being an eventual mission to Mars. More science intense than some of the other space books I've been reading, to the point that I had to google a few terms and consult a few friends who are more science literate than I am.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, well written and easy to understand even for people, like me, that are not so much into science and space exploration. Gives you new eyes to look at the future.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW

[iain meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent review of possible futures for human spaceflight written by a sceptical scientist. Written very much from an American point of view.

An interview with the author at-
http://www.cupblog.org/?p=9186

[Rena]

I won this book from First Reads Giveaway. Waiting to read it when I receive it. Thanks.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Space has always interested me and this was a rather engaging read.