LIFTOFF: The Story of America’s Adventure in Space, by Michael Collins; Illustrated by James Dean, 1988, 300p., a NASA/Grove Press Publication, Hard Cover $50.00. A  Classic for the Collector.

In a step by step way, Michael Collins recounts the drama of the events that launched man into space, from supersonic aircraft to spacecraft to shuttle, writing about man and machine with a contemplative mind and the practical eye of the participating astronaut. He tells not just what goes on in the space capsule, on the launching pad, in the research laboratories or the command modules miles above the shimmering earth; he also gives us a closeup view of the space community and his fellow astronauts who were always one step away from disaster, taking on incredible risks with good humor and poise. Along with the earlier tragedy that took three lives, Collins examines the Challenger disaster with a clear and informed eye, placing its cause and effects in perspective.

Most of all, Collins writes of the wonder and joy of space flight with the passion of a man who has spent a lifetime in its service. He tells about his experiences as the pilot of Gemini 10 and its docking rendezvous with Agena, his hair-raising walks in space and his historic lunar mission with Armstrong and Aldrin. In Liftoff he tells the whole epic story—the incredible triumphs of an adventure more daring than any of mankind’s great explorations. For Collins, this is just the beginning. "Exploring space isn’t an option, it’s an imperative," he says, for human history has always pushed back the frontiers, across the seas and mountains to the moon and beyond—with Mars, perhaps, the next destination.

James Dean’s 88 black-and-white illustrations provide graphic explanations of the engineering feats and daring technical visions which made this saga possible.

SPACE RESOURCES,

This volume is a must for those wanting a background on, and help in understanding, how Space Resources must be used to support life in space, including on the Moon and in exploring Mars. It emphasizes the concept that space travelers must apply their high technology tools in using local resources away from the Earth.

The concept for this report was developed at a NASA-sponsored summer study held at the Scripps Campus at U.C. San Diego, 1984, under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education; and was jointly managed by the California Space Institute and NASA Johnson Space Center under the direction of the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) at NASA Headquarters. Many individuals, who are experts in the various disciplines of space sciences/astronautics participated in this study and contributed their expertise in preparing this written report which incorporates the latest research concepts current just before the date of publication of the report.

This Space Resources report is divided into a brief overview and four detailed technical volumes:
Vol. 1, Scenarios;
Vol. 2, Energy, Power and Transport;
Vol. 3,  Materials;
Vol. 4, Social Concerns.

The volumes cover how space resources can be used in the development of future space activities, and define the necessary research and development that must precede the practical utilization of these resources. Space resources considered include lunar soil, oxygen derived from lunar soil, material retrieved from near-Earth asteroids, abundant sunlight, low gravity, and high vacuum. The direct use of these resources, the potential demand for products from them, the techniques for retrieving and processing space resources, the necessary infrastructure, and the economic tradeoffs are analyzed. The central conclusion is that near-Earth resources can indeed foster the growth of human activities in space.

Numerous Illustrations included.

The individual contributions presented in this volume are based on papers presented at a special session of the spring 1993 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The session, "Advanced Data Handling and Visualization Tools for Space and Atmospheric Sciences," was a first for AGU in terms of its content and its use of on-line demonstrations of tools, technologies, and scientific insights. The need for interactivity, speed, user-friendliness, and extensibility is a unifying theme that the reader will find addressed throughout the papers.

The effective use of advanced computer science and technology to enhance space science productivity including data storage and compression, database management, computational methods and algorithms, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and high-resolution display are a few of the topics covered.

The book is divided into four sections: (I) Overviews (two papers; (II) Space and Upper Atmospheric Science Applications (13 papers); (III) Lower Atmospheric and Earth Science Applications (8 papers); and (IV) Related Topics (8 papers). Numerous full-color illustrations are included.