The Case for Space ― How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility

A noted space expert explains the current revolution in spaceflight, where it leads, and why we need it.

"At last, here is the vision we were aiming for when we landed on the Moon. The Case for Space is the case for the future!" --Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11

A new space race has begun. But this one is not between rival superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. And these daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future. Astronautical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the potential of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is visionary yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges. Fueled by the combined expertise of the old aerospace industry and the talents of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, spaceflight is becoming cheaper. The new generation of space explorers has already achieved a major breakthrough in the reusable rocket. Zubrin foresees more rapid innovation, including global travel from any point on Earth to another in an hour or less, orbital hotels, moon-bases with incredible space observatories, and human settlements on other planets of the solar system. Based on decades of research into the technology of space travel, Zubrin shows how projects that sound like science fiction can actually become reality. But beyond the how, he makes an even more compelling case for why we need to do this--to increase our knowledge of the universe, to make unforeseen discoveries on new frontiers, to harness the natural resources of other planets, to safeguard the Earth from stray asteroids, to ensure the future of humanity by expanding beyond its home base, and to protect us from being catastrophically set against each other by the false belief that there isn't enough for all.

Robert Zubrin (Golden, Colorado) is president of Pioneer Astronautics and also president of the Mars Society. For many years he worked as a senior engineer for Lockheed Martin. In addition, he is the author of many critically acclaimed books, including Mars Direct, How to Live on Mars, The Case for Mars (with Richard Wagner), Entering Space, Mars on Earth, Energy Victory, Merchants of Despair; the science fiction novels The Holy Land and First Landing; and articles in Scientific American, the New Atlantis, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Mechanical Engineering, and the American Enterprise. He has appeared on major media including CNN, CSPAN, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, NBC, ABC, and NPR.