In September 1969, President Nixon formed the Space Task Force to guide NASA's future. However, funding cuts led to the cancellation of ambitious plans, including a space station and missions to the Moon and Mars. This book explores the unrealized missions and technologies of NASA, building on the author’s previous works about the Space Shuttle.
Off-World Resources and Revolutionary Engineering Techniques
This book produces convincing evidence that exploiting the potential of space could help solve many environmental and social issues affecting our planet, such as pollution, overcrowding, resource depletion and conflicts, economic inequality, social unrest, economic instability and unemployment. It also touches on the legal problems that will be encountered with the implementation of the new technologies and new laws that will need to be enacted and new organizations that will need to be formed to deal with these changes. This proposition for a space economy is not science fiction, but well within the remit of current or under development technologies. Numerous technologies are described and put together to form a coherent and feasible road map that, if implemented, could lead humankind towards a brighter future.
Focusing on the Space Shuttle's evolution, the book explores its diverse functions as a launch platform, workshop, and laboratory. It delves into the technological advancements that supported various missions, providing insights from both technical and managerial perspectives. Each mission is analyzed, highlighting the significant differences in the orbiters' capabilities from the program's inception in 1981 to its later years, despite their similar appearances.
Focusing on the technical intricacies of the Space Shuttle, this book provides an in-depth exploration of its systems and operations over three decades. It features firsthand accounts from the engineers and astronauts who contributed to its development and missions, offering unique insights into the challenges and triumphs of the U.S. space program.