Return to the Moon

by Rick Tumlinson

Book Overview

In this volume of essays, the top experts and major players behind the United States's recently renewed push to the moon fuel a growing debate over lunar exploration. The announcement in 2004 that the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1894959329
• ISBN13: 9781894959322
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Collector's Guide Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent and Interesting book

Interesting and stimulating thoughts on returning to the moon. Too bad we let the momentum of the space race fade from memory. Many scientific achievements were due to man's applying time, energy, and money to the advancement of science and human potential rather than warfare.

If You Ever Doubted Why We Should Be On The Moon.....

What an exciting and educational collection of essays. Some of the essays are from famous space writers such as Andrew Chaiken and Robert Zimmerman. They even included Alan Steele who is one of my all time favorite science fiction writers. This book makes you think about many of the issues we will have to consider if we are to settle the moon. Some of these subjects include how to get back there, lunar manufacturing, spiritual aspects, as well as what it will mean to mankind. One of my favorite essays was on the "Overview Effect" by Frank White, which tells how the perspective of mankind can forever be changed. I thought this book was a fascinating read and well worth the money.

Why the Moon is Important

Interest has recently accelerated in human visits to our celestial neighbor, as is evidenced in this book with its wide collection of essays on the subject, in the new NASA program and announced plans from almost all the other major spacefaring nations, but also in the coincidental simultaneous release of another book with the same title, from astronaut Harrison Schmitt. Both books are worth the serious interest of anybody wondering what all the fuss is about. Tumlinson and Medlicott's book brings forward the views of a number of people who have been advocating for a lunar return for some time, and this collection is a good way to get to know them. The arguments put forward are forceful and at times contradictory, but for somebody familiar with space development ideas, they are also quite familiar. Tourism, astronomy, precious metals, materials for space-based solar panels, or simply oxygen as a propellant provide economic incentives for lunar development. Many of the essays argue for a strong private component to lunar development, making use of lunar resources to earn profitable returns here on Earth. Others of the essays see a strong government responsibility, at least in early phases, driven largely by scientific interest in the Moon itself, and by the potential, as General Pete Worden points out, for the Moon to be the ultimate site to develop risky technologies that might be too dangerous to pursue on Earth. Beyond the private/public debate and the surfeit of justifications, a number of the essays also express strong opinions on engineering details such as design of rocket boosters and lunar landers. One suspects that if space advocates figured out a way to actually agree on things, we might have returned to the Moon years ago. And to some extent these debates are moot for now, as NASA lays out its plans and other nations seem determined to follow. A few of these essays provide longer-range views on space settlement and development. As Andrew Chaikin writes, the Moon will be a "catalyst for humanity's transformation into an interplanetary species." Frank White here talks of the "Overview Effect", the profound importance to a human being of physically seeing Earth as a "small planet suspended in space," and he and several others here envision thousands of people having that direct experience in permanent settlements on the lunar surface. Several essays delve into the legal issues - what current law applies, and what new law would be useful, to a lunar colony? Alan Wasser lays out his "Space Settlement Initiative" proposal, to fund space development with lunar land grants based on proven performance, a variant on the "prize" approaches recently in the news. A noteworthy essay from Robert Richards points out that the Moon is really two distinct destinations: the near side and the far side. The far side would be much more isolated from Earth, and potentially much better preparation for the eventual colonization of Mars. Inspirational colo

Space Exploration for Policy Wonks

Be warned that this collection of essays is designed more for the policy wonk than the engineer or scientist. Nevertheless, it contains fascinating pieces by such people as Paul Spudis, Alan Binder, Andrew Chaiken, and Courtney Stadd on the business, law, diplomatic, public policy, and economic aspects of returning to the Moon. The opinions are diverse, except for an agreement on an absolute necessity for returning humans to the Moon, this time to settle it and to make it a center of science and commerce. A must read for anyone interested in the how and why of exploring space.

MUST-BUY FIVE STAR BOOK for the SPACE ADVOCATE

As our nation endeavors to recaputure the drive for a Return to the Moon, Rick Tumlinson has managed to enlist the insights of many of the leading space visionaries of the 21st Century. The passion and hopes of thousands are captured among the pages of the essays with Rick providing an overview of each and why it is important to read. As a 'Child of Apollo' and a 'Human Destiny' advocate, this book was among the gifts provided to 20 of my friends in the season of future-looking hope. This book is a must for the space enthusiast, the policy-wonk, or those just looking to regain the pioneering frontier spirit. While some may confuse it with Apollo 17 astronaut "Jack" Schmitt's book "Return to the Moon," (same title), the essay content provided by Rick Tumlinson is quite different. Return to the Moon is a book for the 'keeper library.'