Space Exploration and Astronaut Safety

Part history, part technology, and part policy analysis, this one-of-a-kind, landmark book reviews the history of NASA’s space exploration program, its astronaut safety program, the present status of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, and the options and strategic opportunities that present themselves as NASA enters its next phase of space exploration with Project Constellation. Written by one of the foremost experts on space policy, Space Exploration and Astronaut Safety presents in a highly readable format, the state of today’s space technology, along with the concerns about safety in space exploration as it applies to current and future programs, and whether these issues can be reconciled and translated into a viable future space policy. The book thoroughly explores NASA’s options and how these options are tempered and influenced by astronaut safety considerations, as well as by uncertain Congressional funding and complex organizational management issues. It also considers the impact of international participation and the increasing prospect of the privatization of space travel. Based on a thorough evaluation of past and current history, findings from the Shuttle tragedies, interviews with key experts, surveys, and extensive research on the Shuttle, ISS, and related NASA space safety programs, the author lays out a comprehensive presentation on where space exploration has been, where it stands today, where it is going, and where it has the potential to go. Decision makers in government (especially those involved with NASA policy and safety), members of space agencies around the world, aerospace scientists and engineers, space enthusiasts, and academicians will all find this book an indispensable and enlightening guide. Investment in the future of space exploration will cost billions of dollars; this book provides ample background and the impetus to enable policy makers, the aerospace community, and the general public to make balanced, educated decisions on how those dollars can best be spent.