The Case for Space: Who Benefits from Explorations of the Last Frontier (Frontiers in Astronomy and Earth Science) - Softcover

Hardersen, Paul S.

9781882360482: The Case for Space: Who Benefits from Explorations of the Last Frontier (Frontiers in Astronomy and Earth Science)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1882360486 ISBN 13: 9781882360482

Publisher: Atl Pr Scientific Pub, 1996

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Book by Hardersen, Paul S.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Publisher:

If you are convinced that Moon rocks, Velcro and Tang represent the sole tangible benefits of spaceflight, you need to read THE CASE FOR SPACE. No mere cheerleader for NASA, Hardersen inspires us with actual examples of space technology at work in our everyday lives. He discusses how space research has already served society and argues that space exploration will advance new technologies, foster international cooperation and spur economic growth. A building catches fire, a siren sounds, and firefighters rush in with oxygen tanks on their backs. They are able to move quickly because their oxygen tanks are made from a lightweight material first used in rocket motor casings! The Martin Marietta Corporation and Structural Composite Industries, Inc. collaborated on this technology, as well as a face mask allowing better visibility and an alarm alerting firefighters when their air supply is running low. A company called Q-Med, Inc. joined with NASA to create a 14-ounce, portable heart monitor that instantly determines whether one's pulse is irregular. The electrodes attached to the patient's chest are the same NASA uses to monitor the pulse of space shuttle astronauts. Hardersen describes the biological lessons of spaceflight, such as the long-term effects of gravity on the human body. A digital imaging firm, started by former NASA employees Kenneth Castleman and Don Winkler, has developed methods to enhance the performance of CAT scanners and radiography systems. The remote sensing capabilities of satellites have revealed the sources of wetland pollution in Florida, the infestation patterns of gypsy moth larvae, and plutonium runoff from nuclear test sites. Hardersen also describes the healthy commercialization of space by private payload-launching firms. While Hardersen shows how the solutions to ozone depletion and energy shortages may depend on today's space policy, he also reports a depressing lack of commitment to space from the United States government and its people. He disproves the delusion that space research is expensive, showing that NASA operates on less than one percent of the total U.S. budget. He blames the White House for not issuing specific goals: "NASA's lack of direction can be firmly blamed on past and present occupants of the White House and the Congress." By reading The Case for Space, you may start to realize how much we would all benefit from a renewed commitment to space research.

About the Author:

Mr. Hardersen is an activist in the National Space Society - a national, non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, that promotes space exploration and development. He is a writer for Final Frontier, and former president of the Iowa State Space Society where he organized the first the Mid-Continent Space Development Conference in 1992. He served aboard the aircraft carrier "USS Independence", at the Defense Information School in Indianapolis; and at the Naval Education and Training Center in Newport. His email is nasa@iastate.edu

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.