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The Hazards of Space Travel: A Tourist's Guide 2007 Villard Press Traveling in space, whether to an orbiting space station, to the Moon, or beyond, will be the experience of a lifetime. Space tourism is now underway with people visiting the International Space Station, and there is a very real possibility that tens of thousands of people will earn their "space wings" this century. Numerous books provide readers with general information about what is out there, but only "The Hazards of Space Travel: A Tourist's Guide" focuses on how and why travelers in space. The temporary effects of space on your body begin by the time you get into orbit. Typically you will become less coordinated, your body will become longer, your bones will start thinning, your digestion will stop, and you will become spacesick (like seasick). The longer you stay in space, the greater the number of problems you face, including potentially lethal surges of radiation and bullet-like impacts from space dust. These dangers and many more are covered in "The Hazards of Space Travel" so that you can become an informed consumer of the experience or, if you aren't going soon, so you can see what others are experiencing. Helping to bring to life the science in "Hazards" are the fictional log entries of an imaginary future astronaut Mack Richardson. Together Comins and Richardson reveal the risks and challenges that await tourists in the days they would spend orbiting the Earth, the weeks required for a trip to the Moon, and the years needed to go anywhere else in the solar system. Space is the new frontier of extreme adventuring, and The Hazards of Space Travel is a fun, fascinating, and informative guide to your own imminent space odyssey when the sky’s no longer the limit. PRAISE “I didn’t think about the dangers before going into space, but now I realize how hazardous it is!” –Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, first person to walk in space “A fascinating and informative romp . . . For those who dream of the possibility of floating through a space hotel or prospecting for water on Mars, Comins prepares readers for the hazardous adventures that await them throughout the solar system.” –Russell (Rusty) Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut “A lively book . . . Those who boldly wish to go where no man or woman has gone before had better be prepared for the possibility of a one-way trip. The real universe presents far more challenges than anything in science fiction.” –Lawrence M. Krauss, director, Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics, Case Western Reserve University, and author of The Physics of Star Trek Table of Contents: PART ONE - HAZARDS ON OTHER WORLDS: AIR, LAND, WATER 1. The Hazards in the Air 2. The Atmosphere of Mars 3. Noxious Gases and Pathogens we Bring into Space 4. Dust 5. Eruptions in Space 6. Quakes and Landslides 7. Low Gravity 8. Water, Water 9. More than a Drop to Drink 10. Water on Mars 11. Water Hazards on Other Bodies PART TWO - DANGERS OF RADIATION 12. Types of Radiation You Will Face 13. Destination-Specific Radiation Dangers 14. Protection from Radiation 15. Mutations and Fixing Damaged Cells PART THREE - IMPACTS 16. The Dangers of Impacts PART FOUR - HUMAN-MADE HAZARDS 17. Mechanical Failures 18. Computer Malfunctions PART FIVE - MEDICAL HAZARDS 19. A Matter of Some Gravity 20. Gravity Lost 21. Cosmic Vibrations 22. Circadian Rhythms PART SIX - HAZARDS RELATED TO SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND OTHER HUMAN FACTORS 23. Preparing for Space Travel 24. Communication and Miscommunication 25. Crowding 26. Mental-Health Issues 27. Intellectual and Motivational Issues PART SEVEN - READAPTING TO EARTH 28. Homecomings |
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