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Mining The Sky: Untold Riches From The Asteroids, Comets, And Planets (Helix Books) Hardcover – October 1, 1996

by John Lewis (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 97 ratings
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Argues that the depletion of the earth's natural resources, as well as the overpopulation of the planet, are solvable problems by using technology that already exists or will exist in the near future
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  1. Print length
    274 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 1996
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0201479591
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0201479591
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As we near the end of the 20th century, humankind must deal with the energy crisis and the depletion of natural resources. Lewis (Rain of Iron and Ice, LJ 1/96) argues that the solution to both these problems lies beyond the earth-that we can tap the vast resources of the solar system, in particular the asteroids, as a source of materials and the sun as a source of power. He even describes how we could colonize Mars. Introducing each chapter with a science fiction-type prolog, Lewis goes on to tell how all this can be achieved. Through occasionally tedious passages, he argues that his proposals are both technologically and economically feasible if done by private enterprise, not as a government project. For general collections. [Robert M. Zubrin's The Case for Mars, reviewed below, also proposes an economically feasible manned Mars program.-Ed.]-Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUN.
--Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Congressman John Lewis was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and played a key role in the struggle to end segregation. Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. He is the author of his autobiography, Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of a Movement and is the recipient of numerous awards from national and international institutions including the Lincoln Medal, the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage" Lifetime Achievement Award (the only of its kind ever awarded), and the NAACP Spingarn Medal, among many others. He lives in Atlanta, GA.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 1996
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0201479591
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0201479591
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 97 ratings

About the author

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John S. Lewis

John S. Lewis

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Dr. John S. Lewis is a well-known space scientist, having contributed well over 100 scientific papers to the field, as well as taxtbooks and popular-science non-fiction.

He is also known for science fiction. In high school, and even at Princeton as an undergrad, he delved into the great old-time science fiction novels and shorter fiction. It was a short step to creating his own science fiction based on the real science he was studying.

John was one of the first to recognize the importance of using the materials found in space to sustain life in space. His books Rain of Iron and Ice and Mining the Sky are based on this principle.

A Rending Clash of Worlds: The Astronomers explores the question, 'what if a massive asteroid were found to be entering Earth's neighborhood -- in 1871?' How would this knowledge change the course of technology? Would the timetable change? Would they be in time to save Earth?

And what about politics? This too is explored.

In "Clash I: The Astronomers" and "Clash II: The Engineers" you will find original documents from around the world that build the story, as well as plenty of entertaining fiction. The main players of that day are on the stage, often in their own words. Such scientists as Mendeleyev and Tsiolkovskii. Goddard and Daniel Berringer, the fellow who discovered Meteor Crater in Arizona, all speak for themselves and contribute the real science they had discovered in their day, 150 years ago.

Even Camille Saint-Saens makes his contribution -- as he actually did.

These scientists and engineers watched as every six years the asteroid - or meteor - got closer and closer.

And the new technologies and understandings got more and more capable of dealing with it.

Rain of Iron and Ice, one of John's non-fiction books for lay readers, talks about the times meteors have collided with Earth. These are stories worth knowing about. It's common lore that no one has been killed by a meteorite, but that's not true. The known fatalities are laid out in Rain of Iron and Ice.

Join John on the Facebook page Mining The Sky: The World of John S. Lewis to talk to him and share your thoughts. He's been studying space for over 75 years.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
97 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be an interesting read that provides valuable insights into the potential wealth of our solar system and how space resources can benefit the global human population. They appreciate the ideas presented, with one customer noting they are quite plausible.

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ReadabilityKnowledgeIdeas
11 customers mention "Readability"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book impressive and interesting to read, with one customer noting it is particularly suitable for science-based readers.

"...This book is that impressive. This book is the clearest and accessible book on the economic impacts space will provide the human race to date..." Read more

"Mining the Sky is an excellent book for any person who has had any association with earthly mineral extraction and the potential for utilization of..." Read more

"John Lewis presents a very believable glimpse of how humanity will expand into our solar system via natural resources and approaches to travel and..." Read more

"...Lucid, engaging, with hardnosed facts and data generously spiced with imaginative vignettes of "how it could be." While we've missed the..." Read more

8 customers mention "Knowledge"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's knowledge, with reviews highlighting its exploration of solar system wealth and potential benefits for global humanity. One customer notes its comprehensive coverage of subjects, while another describes it as an excellent roadmap for space colonization.

"...with earthly mineral extraction and the potential for utilization of space-based resources on the Moon, Mars, and Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs)...." Read more

"...The book covers a broad range of subjects providing: historical perspectives; descriptions of the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids; technical processes..." Read more

"...Lewis very logically and reasonably explores the potential wealth of our solar system, and lays out a very feasable framework to follow in order to..." Read more

"...While the book appears to have some good science in it, because it unquestionably accepts global warming and other myths, it lacks solid credibility...." Read more

6 customers mention "Ideas"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's ideas, with one customer noting they are quite plausible, while another mentions it provides practical strategies for future interplanetary endeavors.

"...Most of its ideas aren't fanciful and can be easily imagined as maturing in the next 20-30 years or sooner, given an effort...." Read more

"...the potential wealth of our solar system, and lays out a very feasable framework to follow in order to utilize the seeminly unlimmited resources in..." Read more

"It's a very good read and actually quite plausible in nearly every aspect. It is a good look into the future we will have, but sadly not soon enough." Read more

"...is advanced enough to follow the outlined plan, but the overall plan is still viable." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Brent Ziarnick
    5.0 out of 5 stars this book decided my life's pursuit!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2002
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Dr. Lewis without a doubt deserves to be one of the most influential leaders in space development. I found Mining the Sky by accident in a hometown book shop while in high school and bought it because I had a few dollars. Five years later, I'm 9 months away from becoming an Air Force space officer with an astronautics degree. This book is that impressive.
    This book is the clearest and accessible book on the economic impacts space will provide the human race to date. Most of its ideas aren't fanciful and can be easily imagined as maturing in the next 20-30 years or sooner, given an effort. Maybe even sooner, as at least one private company was inspired by Dr. Lewis' writings.
    Dr. Lewis' positive outlook is tempered by a realistic engineering and economic approach to space. Keep in mind this book is first and foremost about space industrialization, not exploration. A true space enthusaist should know that one cannot be without the other. Dr. Lewis could not have given a better general survey of whats out there.
    A brief addendum concerning other reviewers' criticisms. This book could be made much more technical. However, this book was meant to appeal to a large, nontechnical audience. For more information, see Dr. Lewis' earlier book (and parent to Mining the Sky) Resources of Near Earth Space. It is the standard text for space materials prospects. Mining the Sky is a toned down version of RoNES meant to explain to a layman (me, when I first read Mining) the opportunities that await those courageous enough to reach out.
    Thank you, Dr. Lewis. And everyone even remotely interested in space and mankinds future in it, READ THIS BOOK!
    41 people found this helpful
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  • Jack Kennedy Jr.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Makes One Think
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2005
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Mining the Sky is an excellent book for any person who has had any association with earthly mineral extraction and the potential for utilization of space-based resources on the Moon, Mars, and Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). While the book is nearly a decade old, the primary message remains poignant and relevant even more so in the 21st Century. It is my hope that the author will do a second edition in the near future. With recent robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, asteroids and comets having taken place since the book was first published, I am certain that there is even much more to now be said about the economics of space-based mineral commerce.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Hawkeye
    5.0 out of 5 stars The salvation of humanity is not far away!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    John Lewis presents a very believable glimpse of how humanity will expand into our solar system via natural resources and approaches to travel and the use of these resources. With unlimited human ideas and knowledge of nearby resources possessing the same elements as man has developed on earth, the potential is unlimited and our travel becomes unlimited.
    This book places man on the threshold of solar system travel and exploration similar to "The Age of Exploration" of the 15th Century. A treasure-trove of riches awaits us in nearby space. Additionally, asteroids regular movements act as the trade winds for our space travel as early Iberian explorers traveled long ago.
    This fascinating book is for the science based reader with an imagination. One that does not possess underpinnings in basic physics and chemistry will be challenged. I do not recommend this to the primary "Love Novel reader."
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  • Magnifying Glass
    4.0 out of 5 stars Idea Book for Future Interplanetarians
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is not a cook book for serving up a turnkey interplanetary civilization, but its ideas will provide food for thought.

    The book covers a broad range of subjects providing: historical perspectives; descriptions of the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids; technical processes for extracting/producing volatiles/metals; generating power; and spaceship propulsion schemes and flight trajectories. Of the ideas presented, two stand out as possible keys to the future ...

    To ply the space between Earth, Moon, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt, you will need a spaceship, versatile in the propellants it can use. Rockets normally burn their propellants, but there is another type which simply heats them. Nuclear energy is the favored heat source. This idea has been around for years. The most accessible propellant in space: water.

    Perhaps the best place to look for water is in a group of asteroids known as Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Their paths periodically cross the Earth's orbit. Some of these NEOs are suspected of harboring ice beneath their dark coats. The NEOs in an orbit similar to Earth's are easiest to reach.

    Scenario: Your spaceship departs an Earth-orbiting fuel-depot. Months later, you intercept a NEO, mine its ice, possibly melting/purifying it before storing it. At departure, you can tap into this water to feed your thermal rocket. After more months, you arrive back at the fuel-depot. The water you add to their stores can be used for flights to other destinations.

    NEO mining could be dangerous. NEOs spin, have low/variable gravities, some may be a collection of loose rocks, some are two smaller bodies sitting on each other, some have small moons, and some are has-been comets. What will happen when you start boring, digging, or blasting them?

    Book quality: page 79 follows page 82.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • LibertyCap
    5.0 out of 5 stars The hopeful future starts here
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book should be required reading for American manufacturing CEOs (those that are still here) -- to give them ideas and set them percolating -- and by politicians -- to get them the hell out of the way and get this hopeful future moving. Lucid, engaging, with hardnosed facts and data generously spiced with imaginative vignettes of "how it could be." While we've missed the target of "L5 by '95" -- at least 1995, anyway -- this book prescribes a path that if followed with a modicum of enthusiasm, could result in hitting that target with ease by 2095...perhaps in another solar system entirely.
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  • IKnowBest
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • John A. Worley
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    It seems quite clear that man's future lies in the spaces between planets, employing the easily reached resources in asteroids to build habitable structures. John S Lewes, professor of Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona, is the acknowledged expert on asteroids and comets, what resources they offer. He deftly compares the costs of mining near Earth asteroids (NEOs) compared to winning materials and water from the Moon. Lewes indulges himself with quirky forewords to may chapters written from the perspective of the next century, which I found rather off-putting, until justified by material in the later chapters.

    Lewes is keen for readers to grasp the astronomical numbers, explaining for instance that shared equally between the 7 billion people on Earth today, your own share of the iron in asteroids is worth £5 billion. Or that if we chose to build an O'Neil cylindrical habitat 5 miles in diameter, there are resources enough to make it several billion miles in length - if you chose to drive your car from one end of the cylinder to the other, the trip might take 30,000 years. And Lewes estimates we have resources to accommodate 10 million times Earth's current population.

    I read that Deep Space Industries, a business formed in January 2013 with the aim of mapping and commercially exploiting asteroids, has more recently made John S Lewes their chief scientist.

    This is a facinating book with mind-boggling ideas all carefully explained. It cannot help but change your view about the problems that confront people with earth-bound horizons.
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  • Bernhard Mackowiak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mining Sky
    Reviewed in Germany on January 9, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Gefällt mir von der Aufmachung und vom Inhalt sehr. Gibt einen sehr guten Überblick eines Themas, das immermehr an Bedeutung gewinnt.
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  • John L.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Thanks
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  • Leonard Tippetts
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but outdated
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    While I read this book with much interest, I felt it is far too outdated to be relevant nowadays you're better of just looking at Google news' science section. Inspiring to read nonetheless.
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