Lunar Outpost: The Challenges of Establishing a Human Settlement on the Moon (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) [Paperback]

Erik Seedhouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0387097465 | ISBN-13: 978-0387097466 | Edition: 1

Lunar Outpost provides a detailed account of the various technologies, mission architectures, medical requirements and training needed to return humans to the Moon within the next decade. It focuses on the means by which a lunar outpost will be constructed and also addresses major topics such as the cost of the enterprise and the roles played by private companies and individual countries. The return of humans to the surface of the Moon will be critical to the exploration of the solar system. The various missions are not only in pursuit of scientific knowledge, but also looking to extend human civilization, economic expansion, and public engagement beyond Earth. As well as NASA, China’s Project 921, Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency, Russia, and the European Space Agency are all planning manned missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars. The Ares-I and Ares-V are the biggest rockets since the Saturn V and there is much state-of-the-art technology incorporated into the design of Orion, the spacecraft that will carry a crew of four astronauts to the Moon. Lunar Outpost also describes the human factors, communications, exploration activities, and life support constraints of the missions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: "Seedhouse … provides an up-to-date case study on the systems architecture that goes into developing a lunar base. … The author … presents an interesting discussion of international cooperation and collaboration. … the book describes the technological challenges needed to establish a successful lunar outpost. … The work would interest students and practitioners in the space industry … . it would be useful for a qualitative design course or for a space systems engineering course. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, professionals, and general readers." (D. B. Spencer, Choice, Vol. 46 (11), July, 2009) "This book … present ‘a narrative of the key mission architecture elements comprising NASA’s plan for returning astronauts to the Moon.’ … anybody who wants a detailed overview of NASA’s Constellation program can find it here. What makes the book especially interesting is that it provides more than just a description of the hardware and mission plans to date – it also provides the rationales for how each was arrived at. … Lunar Outpost describes what is being done in the present." (David Brandt-Erichsen, National Space Society, September, 2009) “The author descibes the Bush administration’s Vision for Space Exploration and the Constellation programme architecture and hardware, as well as taking a look at the lunar ambitions of other nations such as China. … concentrates on establishing a lunar outpost, and what will be involved. Seedhouse is very thorough, covering topics such as environment, life support, communications, navigation, and surface mobility. … The book is well illustrated throughout, including some colour plates, mostly related to the Constellation designs.” (David Maclennan, Liftoff, Issue 257, May-June, 2010)

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Praxis; 1 edition (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387097465
• ISBN-13: 978-0387097466
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erik Seedhouse is an aerospace scientist whose ambition has always been to work as an astronaut. After completing his first degree in Sports Science at Northumbria University the author joined the legendary 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, the world's most elite airborne regiment. During his time in the 'Para's' Erik spent six months in Belize, where he was trained in the art of jungle warfare and conducted several border patrols along the Belize-Guatemala border. Later, he spent several months learning the intricacies of desert warfare on the Akamas Range in Cyprus. He made more than thirty jumps from a Hercules C130 aircraft, performed more than two hundred abseils from a helicopter and fired more light anti-tank weapons than he cares to remember!

Upon returning to the comparatively mundane world of academia, the author embarked upon a Master's degree in Medical Science at Sheffield University. He supported his master's degree studies by winning prize money in 100km ultradistance running races. Shortly after placing third in the World 100km Championships in 1992 and setting the North American 100km record, the author turned to ultradistance triathlon, winning the World Endurance Triathlon Championships in 1995 and 1996. For good measure, he also won the inaugural World Double Ironman Championships in 1995 and the infamous Decatriathlon, the world's longest triathlon, an event requiring competitors to swim 38km, cycle 1800km, and run 422km. Non-stop!

Returning to academia once again in 1996, Erik pursued his Ph.D. at the German Space Agency's Institute for Space Medicine. While conducting his Ph.D studies he still found time to win Ultraman Hawaii and the European Ultraman Championships as well as completing the Race Across America bike race. Due to his success as the world's leading ultradistance triathlete Erik was featured in dozens of magazines and television interviews. In 1997, GQ magazine nominated him as the 'Fittest Man in the World'.

In 1999, Erik decided it was time to get a real job. He retired from being a professional triathlete and started his post-doctoral studies at Vancouver's Simon Fraser University's School of Kinesiology. While living in Vancouver, Erik gained his pilot's license, started climbing mountains and took up sky-diving to relax in his spare time. In 2005 the author worked as an astronaut training consultant for Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas and wrote 'Tourists in Space', a training manual for spaceflight participants. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and a member of the Aerospace Medical Association. Recently, he was one of the final thirty candidates of the Canadian Space Agency's Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. Erik currently works as manned spaceflight consultant and author. He plans to travel into space with one of the private spaceflight companies. As well as being a triathlete, skydiver, pilot and author, Erik is an avid scuba diver and has logged more than two hundred dives in more than twenty countries. His favorite movie is the director's cut of 'Blade Runner', his favorite science fiction authors are Allen Steele and Stanislav Lem and his favorite science fiction series is Red Dwarf. 'Prepare for Launch' is his fifth book. When not writing, he spends as much time as possible in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii and at his real home in Sandefjord, Norway. Erik lives with his wife and two cats on the Niagara Escarpment in Canada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched Book, July 10, 2009

By 

Rod L. Pyle "RocketRod" (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lunar Outpost: The Challenges of Establishing a Human Settlement on the Moon (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)

This is a well-researched and informative book, but don't be expecting a casual read. This is purpose-driven material, and reads like it. It serves as a firm grounding in the new thinking behind lunar bases and more, but does so in the fashion of a doctoral dissertation. This is not a bad thing, as the material, while dense, may be just what you need. Just don't expect to approach it as a Summer beach-chair read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Change of Administration Renders Much of the Book Obsolete, September 28, 2011

By 

Stewart Teaze (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lunar Outpost: The Challenges of Establishing a Human Settlement on the Moon (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) (Paperback)

This book was published in late 2008, just as the Obama administration was taking over the White House... unfortunately, the book mainly focuses on the Bush Administration's VSE (Vision for Space Exploration), and the associated Constellation Program, both of which Obama tried to completely erase. Obama was only half-successful in killing off the complete Constellation Program -- Orion survived, for instance, while the Ares concept has evolved into the simpler Space Launch System (SLS).

While the current Administration's "beyond Earth Orbit" plans do not envision returning humans to the surface of the moon (they do include a manned trip around the moon in 2021; however), I believe these "plans" will get re-written again, once the White House changes hands in 2013, and we will see renewed commitment to return humans to the surface of the Moon within the next 12-15 years.