The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement (Springer Praxis Books)

The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement describes feasible human settlement of the Moon in the coming century. Small scale, tele-operated and autonomous robotic in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) projects are first, followed by electric power, communication, and transportation networks manufactured from lunar resources. These infrastructure networks are field tested an commissioned in the polar regions of the Moon, and permanent human settlements are then established. Through several phases of development, the utility networks grow, and the number of permanently inhabited bases increases to inculde all areas of interest on the Moon. The book stresses that the envisioned "Planet Moon Project" will link the technological and cultural expertise of humanity to the virtually limitless resources of space. From that beginning, the people of the Earth reap substatntial benefits from space, and the human species will evolve into a spacefaring civilization.

Following the Apollo lunar expeditions which culminated in the exploration by the Apollo astronauts on parts of the lunar surface, humankind has not revisited the Moon since 1972. In this 21^st Century the resources of humankind are now sufficiently advanced to support the global human exploration and development of the Moon. In this new Millennium several nations, including Japan and China, have stated their intention to develop a lunar base during the first half of this century.

The major themes of the 1^st edition of  THE MOON – Resources, Future Development and Colonization, a Wiley/Praxis title published in hardback at £34.95 in1999, which has to date sold 1200 plus, remain valid today.

For example, the Moon WILL be the next principal focus of space exploration and development, and the south polar region is increasingly likely as the first site of permanent lunar activities, as the authors predicted. Major events in space that have taken place since the publication of the 1^st edition of the Moonbook.