Reviewed Nonfiction Books alphabetically by title

See also list alphabetically by author

• 2001: The Heritage and Legacy of The Space Odyssey, by Frederick I. Ordway III and Robert Godwin (2010). Ordway was the science consultant for the movie 2001 and the book provides great insight into its creation.
• 2081: A Hopeful View of the Human Future, by Gerard K. O’Neill (1981). This second book by O’Neill describes his thoughts on anticipated advancements in computers, automation, space colonies, energy, and communications.
• 50 Years in Space, by Patrick Moore, illustrated by David A. Hardy (2006). Noted author-astronomer and BBC commentator attempts to rekindle the wonder of the Space Age.
• 50 Years of Rockets & Spacecraft: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Edited by Ed Buckbee (2009). Documenting the history of Marshall Space Flight Center from the 1950s through 2008, including many insider stories.
• A History of Near-Earth Objects Research, by Erik M. Conway, Donald K. Yeomans, and Meg Rosenburg (2022). This free downloadable book is impressively detailed and informative, including descriptions of robotic space missions to NEOs and accounts of talented individuals making incredible discoveries and working to protect Earth from NEOs.
• A Passion for Mars, by Andrew Chaikin (2008). The author of the landmark A Man on the Moon offers striking new information about humankind’s quest for the Red Planet.
• A Passion for Space: Adventures of a Pioneering Female NASA Flight Controller, by Marianne Dyson (2015). What was it like to be one of the first women working in NASA’s Mission Control in the early days of the space shuttle?
• A Pioneer’s Guide to Living on Mars, by Peter Kokh (2021). A gold mine of ideas that touch on every aspect of building a base on Mars.
• A Portrait of the Scientist as a young Woman: A Memoir, by Lindy Elkins-Tanton (2022). Memoir of the Principal Investigator of the Psyche probe to a large metallic asteroid.
• A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong, by James R. Hansen (2020). A second volume of hundreds of letters written both to and from Armstrong.
• A Traveler’s Guide To Mars, by William K. Hartmann (2003). “A masterpiece of scientific writing for the general reader” that provides an integrated understanding of what makes Mars “tick.”
• Abandoned in Place: Preserving America’s Space History, by Roland Miller (2016). Coffee table book with stark photos of the abandoned remnants of America’s glory days in space.
• Abundance, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler (2012). The authors masterfully synthesize data on the forces that can make nine billion people live a life of abundance within 25 years.
• Across the Space Frontier, by Wernher von Braun, et. al. (1952). First in a set of three books that are expanded treatments of a series of articles in Collier’s magazine that inspired a generation of Americans.
• Adventures in Space Advocacy, by Michael J. Mackowski (2015). A personal story of 35 years of space advocacy by a principle activist in the St. Louis and Phoenix NSS chapters.
• Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos, by Lisa Kaltenegger (2024). The author, an Associate Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University who specializes in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, provides an inspirational resource for anyone interested in other worlds.
• Alien Life Imagined: Communicating the Science and Culture of Astrobiology, by Mark Brake (2012). How the portrayal of extraterrestrial life has developed over the last 2500 years.
• Almost Heaven: The Story of Women in Space, by Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles (2003). The fascinating story of the women astronauts and cosmonauts who flew, or almost flew, into space.
• Amazing Stories of the Space Age, by Rod Pyle (2017). “True Tales of Nazis in Orbit, Soldiers on the Moon, Orphaned Martian Robots, and Other Fascinating Accounts from the Annals of Spaceflight.”
• Ambassadors from Earth: Pioneering Explorations with Unmanned Spacecraft, by Jay Gallentine (2014). What Tom Wolfe did for the astronauts in The Right Stuff, Gallentine does for robotic explorers in this wonderful book.
• America’s New Destiny in Space, by Glenn Harlan Reynolds (2020). A pamphlet with less than 50 pages of text that provides a good outline of where we are going in space and why it is happening.
• American Rocketman: The Autobiography of Robert C. Truax, by Robert Truax (2021). A significant contributor to rocket engine development pursued simple robust technology to radically lower the cost of getting to space decades before Musk.
• An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, by Col. Chris Hadfield (2013). “What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything.”
• Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962, by Megan Prelinger (2010). A collection of advertising copy that rescues rocket and space ad artwork from virtual obscurity.
• Apollo 13: NASA Mission Reports (40th Anniversary Edition), edited by Robert Godwin (2010). In-depth data about all aspects of the craft, crew, mission, and accident investigation.
• Apollo EECOM: Journey of a Lifetime, by Sy Liebergot (2008 reprint from 2003). A unique first person account of the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded on Apollo and Skylab missions.
• Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes, by Billy Watkins (2005). Profiles fourteen among the many workers who made the small steps that led to the giant leap.
• Apollo Pilot: The Memoir of Astronaut Donn Eisele, by Donn Eisele (2017). Memoir of the pilot of the first Apollo flight into space, published thirty years after his death.
• Asteroid Hunters, by Carrie Nugent (2017). Saving Earth from asteroid strikes begins with finding them. This is the story of how that happens.
• Asteroid Mining 101: Wealth for the New Space Economy, by John S. Lewis (2014). Presents a long-term plan for mining the asteroids and using their resources to expand our civilization throughout the Solar System.
• Astro Turf, by M. G. Lord (2005). A personal account of how JPL’s hierarchical, male-oriented management structure gradually shifted to a more inclusive model.
• At Home in Space: The Late Seventies Into the Eighties, by Ben Evans (2012). The third brilliant volume of A History of Human Space Exploration.
• Back to the Moon: The Next Giant Leap for Humankind, by Joseph Silk (2022). Provides readers with a worthwhile and broad discussion of many topics primarily and peripherally related to humans living and working on our one natural satellite.
• Becoming Off-Worldly: Learning from Astronauts to Prepare for Your Spaceflight Journey, by Laura Forczyk (2022). Contains plenty of useful information for those wanting to personally experience either suborbital or orbital spaceflight.
• Becoming Spacefarers: Rescuing America’s Space Program, by James A. Vedda (2012). A space policy expert recommends an approach that is not destination-oriented but instead builds infrastructure.
• Behavioral Health and Human Interactions in Space, by Nick Kanas, M.D. (2023). With over fifty years of experience in the field of psychological stress, the author has collaborated with NASA, ESA and others, having earned several awards. This textbook delivers a solid foundation for understanding human behavior in outer space.
• Bennu 3-D: Anatomy of an Asteroid, by Dante S. Lauretta, Brian May, Carina A. Bennett, Kenneth S. Coles, Claudia Manzoni, Catherine W. V. Wolner (2023). The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mapped the surface features of this asteroid to a precision of five centimeters per pixel. 3D viewer included for the stereo photos in the book.
• Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age, by Chris Petty (2020). A historical account of the development of early American rocket planes and their use to investigate the near orbital environment.
• Beyond: The Astonishing Story of the First Human to Leave Our Planet and Journey into Space, by Stephen Walker (2021). A riveting biography of the first astronaut, Soviet Lt. Yuri Gagarin, to orbit the Earth in 1961.
• Blueprint for a Battlestar: Serious Scientific Explanations Behind Sci Fi’s Greatest Inventions, by Rod Pyle (2016). Enjoyable explainations of the science behind clever devices employed in science fiction, and how close we are to obtaining them.
• Boys’ Books, Boys’ Dreams, and the Mystique of Flight, by Fred Erisman (2006). A fun yet academic study of juvenile aviation adventure book series from 1910-1950, entwined with the scientific advances of the era covered.
• Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight before NASA, by Amy Shira Teitel (2016). The story of hobby rocket designers of the late 1920s through the first U.S. satellite launch, replete with drama, accidents, and colorful individuals.
• Burt Rutan’s Race to Space: The Magician of Mojave and His Flying Innovations, by Dan Linehan (2011). Portrays the essence of this remarkable engineer and his unique designs, from his first wooden aircraft models to his innovative suborbital space ships.
• But for the Grace of God: An Autobiography of an Aviator and Astronaut, by William R. Pogue (2011). The life of a Skylab astronaut.
• By Any Means Necessary! An Entrepreneur’s Journey Into Space, by Gregory H. Olsen with Thomas V. Lento (2010). A story of inspiration and practical advice for leading the kind of successful life to reach your dreams — like going into space as a paying passenger.
• Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom, by George Leopold (2016). About the last of the Mercury Seven astronauts to have a book-length biography.
• Canada’s Fifty Years in Space, by Gordon Shepherd and Agnes Kruchio (2008). As enjoyable to read as it is a thoroughly comprehensive history of Canada’s space efforts.
• Catching Stardust: Comets, Asteroids and the Birth of the Solar System, by Natalie Starkey (2018). The best account we have so far of three pioneering missions to sample comets and asteroids.
• Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, by Adam Higginbotham (2024). A riveting primer for those previously unfamiliar with the machinations behind the decision to launch Challenger on a brutally, unseasonably cold Florida morning.
• Colonies in Space, by T. A. Heppenheimer (1977). The best book on space settlement written to date – full of colorful narrative and satisfying, but clearly explained, technical detail.
• Colonizing Mars: The Mission to the Red Planet, by Robert Zubrin, Harrison Schmitt, Edgar Mitchell, et. al. (2012). Anthology of thought-provoking essays on the reasons for sending humans to the Red Planet and what challenges will impact the effort.
• Conquest of the Moon, by Wernher von Braun, et. al. (1953). The greatest space visionaries of the 1950s lay out a highly ambitious plan for exploring the Moon.
• Cosmonaut: A Cultural History, by Cathleen S. Lewis (2023). The book contains interesting anecdotes about specific cosmonauts, but is primarily an examination of how those space adventurers were perceived within the Soviet/Russian culture.
• Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age, edited by Doug Millard (2015). A companion book to a special exhibition at the Science Museum in London which tells the story of human space travel from the Soviet point of view.
• Creature Comforts in Space: Designing Enjoyment and Sustainability for Off-World Living, by Samuel Coniglio (2024). Coniglio’s work is about the human factor in spaceflight, a topic that he believes needs more attention and research from space advocates.
• Crossing the Threshold: Advancing into Space to Benefit the Earth, by Paul O. Wieland, P.E. (2010). A book that ties space endeavors to current problems, like improving or sustaining the environment.
• Days of Delta Thunder, by Dan Kovalchik (2024). Story of a Delta II rocket explosion in 1997 that left workers trapped inside the blockhouse, including the author.
• Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind, by James R. Hansen (2019). A collection of letters, cards, telegrams, and e-mails giving readers an idea how fame affected Neil Armstrong’s life following Apollo 11.
• Deep Space Flight and Communications: Exploiting the Sun as a Gravitational Lens, by Claudio Maccone (2009). A technically-oriented blueprint for escaping the solar system and moving out into the cosmos beyond.
• Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe, by Dr. Dave Williams (2018). Memoir of a Canadian astronaut and former Director of Space and Life Sciences at NASA.
• Developing Space, by John K. Strickland Jr. (2021). “I regarded the text so highly that advance copies have already been used to shape the minds of future Air Force officers who will one day be charged with providing security for the project of human expansion into space.”— Lt Col Peter Garretson.
• Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight, by David A. Mindell (2011). Describes the complexities of the man/machine interface of the Apollo spacecraft and Lunar Module.
• Dinner on Mars: The Technologies That Will Feed the Red Planet and Transform Agriculture on Earth, by Lenore Newman and Evan D. G. Fraser (2022). A plan of action for food growth and sustainability on Mars plus scientific suggestions for improvements to food production on Earth.
• Distant Worlds: Milestones in Planetary Exploration, by Peter Bond (2007). Compelling account of what 50 years of space missions have told us about all the bodies in the solar system.
• Don’t Blow Yourself Up: The Further True Adventures and Travails of the Rocket Boy of October Sky, by Homer Hickam (2021). What did Home Hickam do with his life following the events of his superb memoir Rocket Boys? This book tells the story.
• Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the Future, by Alice Gorman (2019). Gorman, known as Dr Space Junk, is a Senior Lecturer at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia and an authority on the emerging field of space archaeology.
• Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir, by Bryan Burrough (1998). The fascinating inside story of seven American astronauts and their missions to the dangerously decaying Mir space station.
• Dreams of Other Worlds: The Amazing Story of Unmanned Space Exploration, by Chris Impey and Holly Henry (2013). The exciting tale of 12 missions that have expanded our view of the Solar System and the universe over the last 40 years.
• Drifting on Alien Winds, by Michael Carroll (2011). Vivid descriptions, stunning photo assemblies, and inspiring original artwork provide a grand tour of solar system weather.
• Earthrise: My Adventures As an Apollo 14 Astronaut, by Edgar Mitchell (2014). Biographical story geared toward younger readers ages 12 and up.
• Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance (2015). The author uses his personal access to Musk, along with interviews of more than 300 of his co-workers, friends, family, and detractors, to provide an in-depth examination of his companies and accomplishments.
• Energiya-Buran: The Soviet Space Shuttle, by Bart Hendrickx and Bert Vis (2007). The full story of the massive undertaking that led up to the launch of the Soviet space shuttle.
• Envisioning Exoplanets: Searching for Life in the Galaxy, by Michael Carroll (2020). A feast for the eyes and the imagination. More than 200 spectacular images grace its pages, giving substance to the data, analyses, and speculations presented in the text.
• Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age, by Lori Garver (2022). A former Executive Director of NSS and Deputy Administrator of NASA, Garver has been a pivotal force in modern spaceflight, and the ups and downs of that journey are well related in this no-holds-barred book.
• Escaping the Bonds of Earth: The Fifties and the Sixties, by Ben Evans (2009). A comprehensive and finely crafted history of human spaceflight through Apollo 8.
• Exploring the Martian Moons, by Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried (2017). Detailed information about NASA’s space infrastructure and how it could be used for a mission to the Martian moons.
• Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut’s Journey to the Moon, by Al Worden and Francis French (2011). An astronaut memoir that does not disappoint, and that owns up to the postal cover scandal that cost him his job at NASA.
• Far Side of the Moon: Apollo 8 Commander Frank Borman and the Woman Who Gave Him Wings, by Lisa Jorgenson (2021). 23 of the 30 Gemini and Apollo astronauts saw their marriages end in divorce. One marriage that beat the odds was that of Frank and Susan Borman. Their love story is one for the ages.
• Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight, by Amy Shira Teitel (2020). The personalities and careers of Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb, two women who aggressively pursued aviation careers and tested as astronauts (the “Mercury 13”) in the early 1960s.
• First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth, by Marc Kaufman (2011). A first contact primer that’s as accessible and intriguing as it is vivid and thoughtfully written.
• First Man, by James R. Hansen (2005). The first-ever authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, masterfully written by James Hansen, a professor of history at Auburn University.
• Flying Higher and Faster, by Vance Brand (2016). An astronaut biography from the perspective of one who spanned both the Apollo and Shuttle eras.
• Foothold in the Heavens: The Seventies, by Ben Evans (2010). Volume 2 of a comprehensive analysis of the history of human spaceflight.
• Footprints in the Dust: The Epic Voyages of Apollo, 1969-1975, edited by Colin Burgess (2010). Nine writers in twelve chapters cover not only the historical facts, but the human side, including civilian and astronaut perspectives.
• Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space, by John W. Young with James R. Hansen (2012). What makes this book different than other astronauts’ memoirs is the comprehensive technical detail he uses to describe each of his missions and his entire career at NASA.
• From Jars to Stars: How Ball Came to Build a Comet-Hunting Machine, by Todd Neff (2010). The intriguing story of how a company making Mason jars became Ball Aerospace and Technologies.
• From the Earth to the Moon: The Miniseries Companion, by Douglas G. Adler and Peter Bernstein (2020). A guide to the episodes and background of the twelve-part HBO mini-series produced by Bruce Glazer, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, which first aired in 1998.
• From the Garage to Mars: Memoir of a Space Entrepreneur, by Scott Tibbitts (2024). Takes the reader through the growth of the author’s company through manufacture of more than 3,500 devices that flew on 350 spacecraft, providing a good blueprint for would-be entrepreneurs in any industry.
• Fundamentals of Space Business and Economics, by Ozgur Gurtuna (2013). An overview of key topics related to space business and management, with case studies.
• Go for Orbit: One of America’s First Women Astronauts Finds Her Space, by Margaret Rhea Seddon (2016). Rhea Seddon, MD, shares the challenges she faced as one the first women to fly in space.
• Halfway to Anywhere: Achieving America’s Destiny in Space, by G. Harry Stine (1996). Stine’s most important book, on the subject of how to greatly reduce the cost of getting to orbit, includes the fascinating inside story of the Delta Clipper program.
• Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut’s Story of Invention, by Kathryn D. Sullivan (2019). In this book Sullivan has written a sort of dual biography, of herself and of the Hubble Space Telescope, the subject of her final spaceflight.
• Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016). The book that was made into a major motion picture on the subject.

• Hidden in the Heavens: How the Kepler Mission’s Quest for New Planets Changed How We View Our Own, by Jason Steffen (2024). Designed specifically to hunt for exoplanets, the Kepler Space Telescope mission, ending in 2018, accounts for more than 2600 confirmed exoplanets.

• Higher Faster Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Space Flight, by Wally Funk (2020). The life-story of Wally Funk, one of 13 women who were selected to undergo the same physical testing as the original seven American astronauts.
• Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story, by David Hitt, Owen Garriott, and Joe Kerwin (2008). Provides an excellent oral history of the Skylab program, including Alan Bean’s complete journal from the Skylab II mission.
• How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth, by Terry Virts (2020). This book dishes out glimpses into everyday life in space in bite-size pieces, making for an easy read.
• How to Be a Rocket Scientist: 10 Powerful Tips to Enter the Aerospace Field and Launch the Career of Your Dreams, by Brett Hoffstadt (2021). Brief but meaningful advice on how to start a career in anything remotely related to aerospace.
• How to Find a Habitable Planet, by James Kasting (2010). Kasting, a distinguished professor of geosciences at Penn State University, has worked to detect habitable worlds outside our solar system, and in this clear and accessible book he introduces readers to the advanced methodologies being used in this extraordinary quest.
• How to Live on Mars, by Robert Zubrin (2008). Everything you need to know to achieve Great Wealth and Fame on Mars.
• How to Make a Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight, by Julian Guthrie (2016). The life story of Peter Diamandis, and the story of his crowning achievement so far, the X-Prize.
• How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure, by John Rocco (2020). This exceptional book may seem geared towards middle grade students, but it beautifully illustrates – and illuminates – the role of unsung heroes throughout the space program.
• How We’ll Live on Mars, by Stephen L. Petranek (2015). This book predicts that humans will land on Mars via privately-owned spacecraft in 2027.
• Hubble, Humason and the Big Bang: The Race to Uncover the Expanding Universe, by Ron Voller (2021). One is the namesake of a legendary space telescope. The other is virtually unknown outside the astronomy world. Combined, this unlikely duo changed humanity’s understanding of how the universe began.
• Hubble’s Universe: Greatest Discoveries and Latest Images, by Terence Dickinson (2014).The universe is the ultimate art gallery, and this beautiful coffee-table book is a splendid guide to the visual treasures of space.
• Human Spaceflight: From Mars to the Stars, by Louis Friedman (2015). An excellent review of solar sail technology and a plea for settling Mars.
• Humanizing Space: The Life of Gerard K. O’Neill, by Dylan Taylor with John Desimone (2021). The story of an exceptional mind merged with a sanguine personality, living an exceptional life. His vision will remain for centuries to come.
• In the Shadow of the Moon, movie directed by David Sington and produced by Ron Howard (2007). Remember when the whole world looked up? Beautifully edited with new footage and no narration, the Apollo astronauts tell their own story.
• Infinite Worlds: The People and Places of Space Exploration, by Michael Soluri (2014). A coffee table book of stunning photographs and 18 first-hand essays provides a detailed look at the last Hubble repair mission.
• Infinity Beckoned: Adventuring Through the Inner Solar System, 1969-1989, by Jay Gallentine (2016). Amazingly detailed behind-the-scenes account of both Soviet and American unmanned space programs targeting the Moon, Mars, and Venus.
• Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of Shuttle Columbia and the Men Who Flew Her, by Rowland White (2016). Noticeable new information and an interesting perspective keeps the reader engaged and feeling that your time was well spent.
• ISScapades, by Donald A. Beattie (2007). Does an admirable job of providing the reader with an understanding of why we have the space station we have.
• Japan in Space: Past, Present and Future, by Brian Harvey (2023). The entire history of Japan’s space efforts is discussed in this incredibly detailed work.
• John Houbolt – The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings, by William F. Causey (2020). This book records a concise history of the Apollo program decision between Direct Ascent, Earth Orbit Rendezvous (EOR), and Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR).
• Krafft Ehricke’s Extraterrestrial Imperative, by Marsha Freeman (2009). Biography and selected writings of one of the great thinkers of the space age.
• Laika’s Window: The Legacy of a Soviet Space Dog, by Kurt Caswell (2018). The tragic story of the first living creature to orbit the Earth.
• Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Space Flight, by Margaret Lazarus Dean (2015). The author asks “What does it mean that we went to space for 50 years, and then decided not to anymore?…What does it mean to stop exploring?”
• Left Brains for the Right Stuff: Computers, Space, and History, by Hugh Blair-Smith (2015). This book merges the development of the computer, the race to the Moon, and the Cold War as a backdrop to the author’s career.
• License to Orbit, by Joseph Pelton and Peter Marshall (2009). Knowledgeable authors cover the wide spectrum of space tourism operations.
• Life as We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life, by Peter Ward (2005). Sets a research agenda aimed at unraveling the profound questions: What is life, and where does it exist?
• Life in Space: NASA Life Sciences Research During the Late Twentieth Century, by Maura Phillips Mackowski (2022). Thoroughly researched and referenced, Life in Space is an extensive history of NASA as it pertains to the life sciences during the period of 1980 to 2004, written by a historian.
• Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX, by Eric Berger (2021). Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys which became the movie October Sky, summed it up this way: “This is as important a book on space as has ever been written and it’s a riveting page-turner, too.”
• Live from Cape Canaveral, by Jay Barbree (2007). A master reporter makes the last 50 years of spaceflight come alive.
• Living in Space, edited by Sherry Bell (2009). 21 essays on the cultural and social dynamics, opportunities, and challenges in permanent space habitats.
• Lunar Outfitters: Making the Apollo Spacesuit, by Bill Ayrey (2020). A rare and rewarding book. The author goes into the complexity of both spacesuit design and quality management in straightforward language.
• Lunar Outpost: The Challenges of Establishing a Human Settlement on the Moon, byErik Seedhouse (2009). A narrative of the key mission architecture elements comprising NASA’s plan for returning astronauts to the Moon.
• Lunar Settlements, Edited by Haym Benaroya (2010). Comprehensive collection of papers from the 2007 Rutgers University Symposium on Lunar Settlements.
• Manned Lunar Landing and Return, by Robert Godwin (2019). Reveals little known, but key participants and decisions in the road to the Moon paved by the Apollo Project.
• Marketing the Moon, by David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek (2014). Well-written and well-researched work that provides a unique perspective on the Apollo program: how it was marketed to the public.
• Mars and How to Observe It, by Peter Grego (2012). A treasure trove of information about Mars and how to observe it from Earth.
• Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account from Curiosity’s Chief Engineer, by Rob Manning and William L. Simon (2014). How the Mars rover went from an idea to actually landing on Mars and making extraordinary discoveries.
• Mars Up Close: Inside the Curiosity Mission, by Marc Kaufman (2014). A coffee-table size, visually beautiful book that also tells the story of the people involved in operating the mission.
• Mars Wars, by Thor Hogan (2007). Chronicles the reasons for the failure of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) in the early 1990s.
• Mars: Making Contact, by Rod Pyle (2016). A book about Mars missions, the successes and failures and the many challenges and solutions involved.
• Mars: Prospective Energy and Material Resources, edited by Viorel Badescu (2010). Fully referenced research papers focusing on the technologies necessary for humans to someday live and thrive on the surface of Mars.
• Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Days with the Phoenix Mars Mission, by Andrew Kessler (2011). Journalistic account of amazing science in all its frustration and glory, heroically executed despite penny-pinching and bureaucratic fiddling.
• Megacatastrophes, by David Darling and Dirk Schulze-Makuch (2012). An astronomer and an astrobiologist describe nine ways the world could end.
• Men Into Space, by John C. Fredriksen (2012). The story of the 1959 television series about human space flight.
• Mining the Sky, by John S. Lewis (1997). One of the most important books space advocates can own. Provides a justification and roadmap for incorporating the material and energy resources of the solar system into the world’s economy.
• Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet’s Twin, by Michael D. Lemonick (2012). A science journalist’s account of the painstaking science of planet-hunting and the researchers who’ve taken up the quest.
• Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, by Buzz Aldrin and Leonard David (2013). Apollo astronaut and developer of the Aldrin Mars Cycler which could provide regular service between Earth and Mars, gives his vision of humanity’s future in space.
• Mission to Methone, by Les Johnson (2018). A prospecting mission finds an asteroid that turns out to be an ancient alien spacecraft.
• Missions to the Moon, by Rod Pyle (2009). With relatively few pages, this book is oversized and crammed with information — even with all the other histories out there, a valuable and fun book.
• Moon Lander: How We Developed the Apollo Lunar Module, by Thomas J. Kelly (2009). Fascinating coverage of the engineering, management, economics, and numerous problems overcome in the successful Apollo lunar lander.
• Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, by Andrew Smith (2005). Where do you go after you’ve been to the Moon? If you ever wanted to have a personal discussion with the moonwalkers, this is the book for you.
• Moonrush, by Dennis Wingo (2004). Makes a strong case that there are important reasons for humans to return to the Moon, as well as why past efforts have failed.
• Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut’s Guide to Achieving the Impossible, by Mike Massimino (2023). Part autobiography, part inspirational tale, and part self-help book, each short chapter is built around a vignette from Massimino’s time at NASA, either on or off of the Earth, and the hard-won lessons he learned along the way.
• My Dream of Stars: From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer, by Anousheh Ansari (2010). The heartfelt story of the first woman to travel in space as a paying passenger.
• NACA to NASA to Now: The Frontiers of Air and Space in the American Century, by Roger D. Launius (2023). The former chief historian of NASA details the transition from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), 1915-1958, to NASA. Available as free downloadable PDF.
• NASA Missions to Mars: A Visual History of Our Quest to Explore the Red Planet, by Piers Bizony (2022). A “family-friendly non-academic and almost purely visual celebration” of what we have achieved in exploring the planet Mars.
• NASA Space Shuttle Owners’ Workshop Manual, by Dr. David Baker (2011). Encyclopedic volume of information about the Space Shuttle.
• NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary, by Piers Bizony and Roger D. Launius (2021). The objective of this book is to tell the Shuttle’s story in a succinct manner and with the use of extensive illustrations, and the hundreds of pictures are spectacular.
• NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration, edited by James D. Dean and Bertram Ulrich (2008). Showcases some of the paintings that NASA commissioned as part of its historic art program.
• NASA’s Discovery Program: The First Twenty Years of Competitive Planetary Exploration, by Susan Niebur with David W. Brown (2024). This book, available as a free PDF download, details the first two decades of the Discovery program, conceived as a frequent and lower-cost way to do planetary science.
• NASA’s Voyager Missions: Exploring the Outer Solar System and Beyond (Second Edition), by Ben Evans (2022). The details of the Voyager missions, supplemented by information gathered by all subsequent probes.
• Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight, by Jay Barbree (2014). Dramatic and entertaining account of Neil Armstrong’s flying career.
• Never Panic Early: An Apollo 13 Astronaut’s Journey, by Fred Haise with Bill Moore (2022). Fred Haise is one of the last Apollo astronauts to tell his story, and since he was the lunar module pilot on the ill-fated Apollo 13, it’s quite a tale.
• New Moon Rising, by Frank Sietzen Jr. and Keith Cowing (2004). Provides the inside story of the formation of a major space policy in 2004: The Vision for Space Exploration.
• No Dream Is too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon, by Buzz Aldrin and Ken Abraham (2016). A half memoir and half inspirational self-help book, using Aldrin’s stories as a backdrop for broad life lessons.
• Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide to Life in the Space Age, by Kellie Gerardi (2020). An autobiographical book that aims to provide examples of how those with non-technical degrees might find worthwhile and exciting careers in the space endeavor.
• Nuclear Rockets: To the Moon and Mars, by Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried (2023). Ehrenfried’s effort clearly has a place as a reference work, but is not designed for the average reader. It is a comprehensive survey of the field aimed at engineers.
• Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, by Kate Greene (2020). A deeply personal book from former analog astronaut Kate Greene, who joined five others in a simulated Mars mission.
• One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon, by Charles Fishman (2019). NSS members should find a good review of the Apollo program and be reminded of the hard work behind achieving great dreams.
• Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo, by Teasel Muir-Harmony (2020). How the American government carefully choreographed the manned space program propaganda value from their very beginnings.
• Out Of This World: New Mexico’s Contributions to Space Travel, by Loretta Hall (2011). From Goddard’s early rockets to a modern spaceport. For young adult to adult.
• Out of This World: The New Field of Space Architecture, A. Scott Howe and Brent Sherwood, editors (2009). Gorgeously illustrated textbook of architectural concepts as applied to space (from habs to cities).
• Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach (2010). An intriguing chronicle of the nitty-gritty, rarely discussed aspects of space travel.
• Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth, by Les Johnson, Gregory L. Matloff, C Bangs (2009). How humans might use the resources of the solar system for terrestrial benefit, allowing civilization to live in harmony with the environment.
• Partnership in Space: The Mid to Late Nineties, by Ben Evans (2013). Book five of the monumental History of Human Space Exploration.
• Photographing America’s First Astronauts: Project Mercury Through the Lens of Bill Taub, by J. L. Pickering and John Bisney (2023). Pickering and Bisney’s sixth book contains over 600 photos from Taub’s collection and is truly a treasure trove for those who love vintage space photography.
• Picture This! Grasping the Dimensions of Time and Space, by Michael Carroll (2016). An understandable introduction to astronomy with vivid illustrations of astronomical distances.
• Piercing the Horizon: The Story of Visionary NASA Chief Tom Paine, by Sunny Tsiao (2017). The story of one of the most visionary of the NASA Administrators, who served in that position during the first seven Apollo flights.
• Pioneer’s Guide to Living on the Moon, by Peter Kokh (2018). This book describes a grand vision—a string of largely self-sufficient settlements spread across the northern face of the Moon.
• Planet Earth, Past and Present: Parallels Between Our World and its Celestial Neighbors, by Michael Carroll (2023). Written and illustrated by a prolific and well respected space artist, this book is a tour de force and a massive source of information about Earth, the rocky planets and the moons of the gas giants.
• Planetology: Unlocking the Secrets of the Solar System, by Tom Jones and Ellen Stofan (2008). Published by National Geographic, the book is packed with compelling images and informative text.
• Pluto and Lowell Observatory: A History of Discovery at Flagstaff, by Kevin Schindler and Will Grundy (2018). The book was written by a Lowell historian (Schindler) and a planetary scientist who led the surface composition team for New Horizons (Grundy).
• Postcards from Mars, by Jim Bell (2006). A coffee-table book of fabulous photos that also includes the compelling human story behind the successful Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
• Proposal for Man in Space (1957-1958), edited by Robert Godwin (2019). If you are a serious student of early space history, this book has a wealth of information of which you should be knowledgeable.
• Realizing Tomorrow: The Path to Private Spaceflight, by Charles Dubbs and Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom (2011). A fascinating and detailed history of private spaceflight attempts.
• Red Moon Rising, by Matthew Brzezinski (2007). Captures the essence of the opening of the Space Age with masterful political savvy.
• Red Moon Rising: How America Will Beat China on the Final Frontier, by Greg Autry and Peter Navarro (2024). Describes well the policies America needs to adopt in order to remain first in space, but has little about Chinese space accomplishments.
• Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age, by Eric Berger (2024). Tells the remarkable story of how SpaceX became the most exciting space company on Earth.
• Reference Guide to the International Space Station, by Gary Kitmacher (2006). Provides a high level overview of the incredibly complex International Space Station program without drowning the reader in an ocean of facts.
• Return to the Moon: Exploration, Enterprise, and Energy in the Human Settlement of Space, by Harrison H. Schmitt (2005). The last man to set foot on the Moon takes a hard look at the economic and technological gains in getting back to where we once belonged.
• Riding Rockets, by Mike Mullane (2006). Former NASA astronaut Mike Mullane pulls back the cover on the astronaut corps, revealing the humor and humanity missing from the agency’s official biographies.
• Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars, by Nathalia Holt (2016). This epic story of the women of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a fascinating history that’s as much a timeline of U.S. space science as it is an entertaining group biography.
• Rise of the Space Age Millennials: The Space Aspirations of a Rising Generation, by Laura Forczyk (2020). As the title implies, this book chronicles the careers, ambitions, and opinions of several young space professionals.
• Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century: Volume 1 (1907-1948): Learning Curve, by William H. Patterson (2010). Volume 1 of a two-volume biography of the dean of American science fiction writers.
• Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century: Volume 2 (1948-1988): The Man Who Learned Better, by William H. Patterson (2014). The second and final volume of a comprehensive biography of the intellectual father of the space movement.
• Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age, by David A. Clary (2003). This balanced biography provides a fascinating look at this unique, talented, and contradictory man who was the unquestioned pioneer of liquid rocket propulsion in America.
• Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon, by Craig Nelson (2009). The ability to transport the reader emotionally back to an epic moment is this book’s redeeming asset.
• Rocketbelt Pilot’s Manual: A Guide by the Bell Test Pilot, by William B. Suitor (2009). The author shares his amazing experiences of personal flight in a matter-of-fact style with just a touch of awe for his incredible flights.
• Rocketeers, by Michael Belfiore (2007). A personal glimpse into the space entrepreneur and why people will risk fortunes and even their lives in an effort to open space to a wider audience.
• Rockets and Revolution: A Cultural History of Early Spaceflight, by Michael G. Smith (2013). A study of the cultural and philosophical aspects of the development of rockets.
• Roving Mars, by Steven W. Squyres (2005). The passionate story of the human perserverance involved in creating the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
• Saturn 1/1B, by Alan Lawrie (2008). A comprehensive history of the rocket that started the Apollo program on its way to the Moon.
• Saturn, by Alan Lawrie (2005). The definitive reference work on what is arguably the crowning achievement of American aerospace technology, the Saturn V Moon rocket.
• Saturn: A New View, by Laura Lovett, Joan Horvath, and Jeff Cuzzi (2006). An incredible volume of history, facts, and 150 awe-inspiring photographs of the planet and its moons, taken from the Cassini and Huygens spacecraft.
• Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, by Annalee Newitz (2013). Describes the forces that limit a species’ lifetime and the survival strategies that have the greatest potential for the human race.
• Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe, by Bruce Jakosky (2006). An astrobiologist attempts to understand humans and their place in the universe. A book for the space philosopher.
• Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space, by Namrata Goswami and Peter A. Garretson (2020). Competition in space is shifting from a race for prestige to a race for the practically limitless natural resources of the solar system.
• Secrets of the Universe, by Paul Murdin (2009). A storyteller’s history of astronomy, constructed like a collection of short stories that invites readers to delve into it at any point, that makes the most complex topics accessible and absorbing.
• Selling Peace: Inside the Soviet Conspiracy That Transformed the U.S. Space Program, by Jeffrey Manber (2010). First hand account by the person who brokered deals between the Russian company Energia and the US.
• Settling Space, by John K. Strickland Jr. (2021). As I read Settling Space, one thought kept going through my mind: Strickland has thought of everything! No matter how ambitious the goal or destination, he explains, in very great detail, how it is possible.
• Sex in Space, by Laura Woodmansee (2006). An interesting study in possibilities that have not as yet been documented, and a good starting point for future space tourists and planners.
• Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change, by Cady Coleman (2024). Inspired by Sally Ride to become an astronaut, this book details how she overcame all roadblocks to achieve her goals.
• Shoot for the Moon: The Space Race and the Extraordinary Voyage of Apollo 11, by James Donovan (2019). A jacket blurb by Michael Collins calls this book “the best book on Apollo that I have read.”
• Shuttle Mission Control: Flight Controller Stories and Photos, 1981-1992, by Marianne Dyson (2021). A fascinating, energizing look at the shuttle program’s early history, technology, and personalities, written by one of the first women flight controllers.
• Shuttle, Houston: My Life in the Center Seat of Mission Control, by Paul Dye (2020). The experiences and recollections of the longest serving Flight Director in NASA history.
• Sky Alert: When Satellites Fail, by Les Johnson (2013). Compelling account of how tenuous and entwined our existence has become with orbiting satellites.
• Skywalking: An Astronaut’s Memoir, by Tom Jones (2006). Former NASA astronaut Tom Jones offers a not-so-rosy glimpse at U.S.-Russian space relations.
• Smoke Jumper, Moon Pilot: The Remarkable Life of Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart Roosa, by Willie G. Moseley (2011). Worthy biography of the Apollo 14 Command Module pilot.
• Solar Sails: A Novel Approach to Interplanetary Travel, by Giovanni Vulpetti, Les Johnson, and Gregory L. Matloff (2008). The definitive book on solar sails for both the technical and the non-technical reader.
• Space 2.0: How Private Spaceflight, a Resurgent NASA, and International Partners are Creating a New Space Age, by Rod Pyle (2019). Space historian and Ad Astra editor Rod Pyle, in collaboration with the National Space Society, provides an inside look at the next few decades of spaceflight and long-term plans for exploration, utilization, and settlement.
• Space and Astronomy: Decade by Decade, by Marianne J. Dyson (2007). A clear and easy-to-understand resource for high school and college students, educators and the general public.
• Space Bites: Reflections of a NASA Food Scientist, by Vickie Kloeris (2023). Reveals the range of duties of a NASA food scientist, packed with interesting tidbits.
• Space Enterprise: Living and Working Offworld in the 21st Century, by Philip Robert Harris (2009). An excellently referenced compendium of the behavioral and social science issues related to the creation of a spacefaring civilization.
• Space Forces: A Critical History of Life in Outer Space, by Fred Scharmen (2021). Scharmen seeks to prevent capitalism, free markets, and private property from being “allowed” technologies in space, preferring the end of growth and a static society forever confined to the Earth proper.
• Space Is Open for Business: The Industry That Can Transform Humanity, by Robert C. Jacobson (2020). This book serves the same role for those aspiring to become part of New Space as the Boy Scout Manual serves for those aspiring to become Eagle Scouts.
• Space on Earth: Saving Our World By Seeking Others, by Charles S. Cockell (2007). “Environmentalism and space exploration have one and the same objective: to ensure humanity has a home.”
• Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words, by Loretta Hall (2014). Oral histories from many people you might not otherwise have heard from.
• Space Race: The Epic Battle between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space, by Deborah Cadbury (2006). A somewhat pedestrian account of the epic tale of two dreamers on opposite sides of the “battle” for the heavens: Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev.
• Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts from All 135 Missions, by Tom Jones (2023). A visually beautiful coffee table sized book that provides insight into the thought processes of the astronauts.
• Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space, by Gary Kitmacher, Ron Miller, and Robert Pearlman (2018). Impressive, information-filled, profusely illustrated with excellent pictures, but marred by a disjointed presentation and at least 18 notable errors.
• Space: The Human Story, by Tim Peake (2023). This book is probably best suited to newcomers to space history or young readers looking for a single volume that will give them a sense of the broad sweep of human spaceflight in a relatively short time.
• Spacecraft Films Apollo DVD Sets (2003-2006). These DVD sets provide the chance to see the Apollo missions as the astronauts did.
• Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe, by Mike Massimino (2016). An easy-to-read and honest and down-to-Earth personal look into the lifelong journey into space of astronaut and two-time Hubble repairman Mike Massimino.
• SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History, by Dan Linehan (2008). A coffee-table book offering narrative details and pictures of this history-making vehicle.
• Spaceships: An Illustrated History of the Real and the Imagined, by Ron Miller (2016). Appropriately published by Smithsonian, this is a museum in book form, with images, captions, and text acting like display cases on every page spread.
• Spaceshots & Snapshots of Projects Mercury & Gemini: A Rare Photographic History, by John Bisney and J. L. Pickering (2015). Beautifully produced book of 689 photographs with detailed captions that provide a wealth of information.
• Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer, by Jerry L. Ross with John Norberg (2013). “The story of one man’s lifelong quest to explore the unknown, overcome setbacks and obstacles, and keep the beacon of space shining in the hearts of all people, young and old.”
• SpaceX: Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality, by Erik Seedhouse (2013). The first book-length account of commercial spaceflight’s most successful venture.
• SpaceX: Starship to Mars – The First 20 Years, by Eric Seedhouse (2022). Mostly a detailed recap of SpaceX’s history, a repository of facts feeling like the author has only transcribed his source material. The short chapter on Starship is second to last in the book.
• Star Settlers: The Billionaires, Geniuses, and Crazed Visionaries out to Conquer the Universe, by Fred Nadis (2020). The subtitle of this book could be “A Writer Lavishes Faint Praise on Space Settlement.”
• Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin, by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony (2011). The real story of Yuri Gagarin came to light when the people and archives of the U.S.S.R. became accessible to dedicated western journalists in the 1990s.
• Starship Century: Toward the Grandest Horizon, edited by James Benford and Gregory Benford (2013). Science fact and fiction on the status of and prospects for interstellar travel.
• Test Gods: Virgin Galactic and the Making of a Modern Astronaut, by Nicholas Schmidle (2021). A fast paced, intelligent chronicle of the less public race to develop a spaceship capable of carrying paying civilian customers to space.
• The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality, by Richard Panek (2011). The story of the scientists who are hunting for 96% of the universe.
• The Apollo Guidance Computer: Architecture and Operation, by Frank O’Brien (2010). A comprehensive masterpiece chronicling the computer that made the Apollo lunar landings possible.
• The Asteroid Hunter: A Scientist’s Journey to the Dawn of Our Solar System, by Dante S. Lauretta (2024). In this exhilarating book, the principle investigator for the OSIRIS-Rex mission to the asteroid Bennu tells the story of that mission.
• The Astronaut Wives Club, by Lily Koppel (2013). How the wives of the early astronauts dealt with the intense pressure of their new-found celebrity.
• The Astronaut’s Cookbook: Tales, Recipes, and More, by Charles T. Bourland and Gregory Vogt (2009). This book is an overview of how “space food” is made and a description of the problems involved, as well as an actual cookbook.
• The Big Book of Mars, by Marc Hartzman (2020). In five chapters, presented on thick glossy paper with an abundance of illustrations, Hartzman describes an amazing array of facets of how Mars has found its way into so much of our culture over the last 140 years.
• The Boy Who Reached for the Stars: A Memoir, by Elio Morillo with Cecilia Molinari (2023). Elio Morillo was a child thrown into poverty, yet has worked on the Mars Perseverance rover and its Ingenuity helicopter.
• The Case for Mars, by Robert Zubrin (1996/1997). “Bob Zubrin really, nearly alone, changed our thinking on this issue.”—Carl Sagan
• The Case for Space Solar Power, by John C. Mankins (2014). This book provides a new watershed for space solar power.
• The Case for Space: How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility, by Robert Zubrin (2019). Zubrin makes our case better than anyone has to date.
• The Complete Space Buff’s Bucket List, by Loretta Hall (2016). 100 space-themed activities to participate in and places to visit.
• The Cosmonaut Who Couldn’t Stop Smiling: The Life and Legend of Yuri Gagarin, by Andrew L. Jenks (2012). How do you separate the real from the propaganda? One of the most compelling works of space history to be published in the past decade.
• The Cosmos Economy: The Industrialization of Space, by Jack Gregg (2021). Explains what is going on in the space business and why how the industry could be valued at $3 trillion by mid-century.
• The Exploration of Mars, by Wernher von Braun & Willey Ley (1956). The father of the U.S. space program and the founding president of the National Space Institute (now National Space Society) describes his plans for exploring Mars.
• The Father, Son, and Holy Shuttle: Growing Up an Astronaut’s Kid in the Glorious 1980s, by Patrick Mullane (2020). The book takes readers through Patrick’s world during eight years when he was young and the world exciting with an astronaut dad.
• The Future of Humanity, by Michio Kaku (2018). A popular theoretical physicist envisions a grand golden age of space development and our ultimate destiny among the stars and even beyond.
• The High Frontier: An Easier Way, by Tom Marotta and Al Globus (2018). Provides new ideas on a stepwise approach that can help bridge the gap between where we are now and the first orbital space settlements.
• The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, 3rd Edition, by Gerard K. O’Neill (2000). In one of THE great books about space development, O’Neill offered answers to most of humanity’s energy problems and at the same time planned for a grand expansion of the human race into the solar system.
• The Living Cosmos, by Chris Impey (2007). A readable survey of astrobiology and how it may lead to deeper knowledge of our place in the universe.
• The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook, by Robert Godwin (2007). A fascinating tour of more than 200 proposed lunar vehicles, with beautiful color illustrations and designs that until now have existed only as blueprints.
• The Mission: A True Story, by David W. Brown (2021). Creatively written chronicle of years of near-byzantine maneuvers to accomplish the Europa Clipper space mission (which was not launched until three years after the book was published).
• The Moon: Resources, Future Development, and Settlement, 2nd Edition, by David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie Cooper, and Madhu Thangavelu (2007). On the technological development of lunar resources leading to a global lunar infrastructure and civilization.
• The Music of Space: Scoring the Cosmos in Film and Television, by Chris Carberry (2024). This book tells us about the composers and other influencers who have shaped the sounds of space-related film and TV.
• The NASA Letters, by Don A. Nelson (2018). One man’s fight for a commercially run, automated Space Shuttle.
• The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel, by Meredith Bagby (2023). Astronaut Group 8 was notable for the inclusion of six women, one of whom was Jewish, three Astronauts who were Black, and one who was Asian. Additional review.
• The New Space Race: China vs. the United States, by Erik Seedhouse (2010). The “race” with China for the dominance of space is more subtle than the old US-Soviet race.
• The New World on Mars: What We Can Create on the Red Planet, By Robert Zubrin (2024). Zubrin’s mostly brilliant book on all things related to what life on Mars might actually be like is extremely broad in its content.
• The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, by Christopher E. Mason (2021). By undertaking a 500-year genomic engineering program, humans could modify themselves to better tolerate the extreme environments of outer space.
• The Next Space Race: A Blueprint for American Primacy, by Richard M. Harrison and Peter A. Garretson (2023). The authors express their belief that it is crucial, for both economic and military reasons, that the United States remain first in space.
• The Nuclear Rocket: Making our Planet Green, Peaceful and Prosperous, by James Dewar (2009). Argues that the nuclear reactor is the only viable primary source of economical rocket power.
• The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles, by Ron Garan (2015). Astronaut Garan describes how we can all gain an “orbital perspective” to guide and inspire our efforts to build a better world.
• The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut, by Clayton C. Anderson (2015). An astronaut biography displaying dogged persistence and unwillingness to give up on a lifetime goal to fly in space.
• The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, 4th Edition, by Frank White (2021). Astronauts who have viewed the Earth from space report feeling a stronger, more protective connection with the Earth and a deepened awareness of the commonality of all human beings.

• The People’s Spaceship: NASA, the Shuttle Era, and Public Engagement after Apollo, by Amy Kaminski (2024). A detailed, serious and thoughtful work about one of the most important spaceflight endeavors that NASA has ever embarked on.

• The Planet-Girded Suns, by Sylvia Engdahl (2012). A thought-provoking history of human thought about extrasolar worlds. For young adult to adult.
• The Plundering of NASA: An Exposé, by R. D. Boozer (2013). “How pork barrel politics harm American spaceflight leadership.”
• The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2009). Offers hilarious documentation of the uproar over Pluto’s loss of planetary status, as well as a serious look at how the decision was made.
• The Politics and Perils of Space Exploration, by Linda Dawson (2016). A wide ranging introduction to historical and current space programs with both factual accounts and political analysis.
• The Road to Modern Rocketry: Launch Bases, Centers, Museums, Memorials, and Monuments, by Doug Gangler (2014). More than a history, this book is a visitor’s guide to the world’s launch bases, centers, museums, memorials, and monuments.
• The Seventh Landing: Going Back to the Moon, This Time to Stay, by Michael Carroll (2009). Presents many logical reasons for a permanent return to the Moon as the next step in human exploration of our universe, with exciting illustrations by the author.
• The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil (2006). How might the hypothetical “Technological Singularity”—when computers become smarter than humans and take over their own evolution—affect space development?
• The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World, by Sarah Stewart Johnson (2020). Covers the history behind the search for life on Mars, written by a person who was intimately involved in this history.
• The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts, by Loren Grush (2023). Focuses on the six women in Group 8—Anna Fisher, Shannon Lucid, Judy Resnick, Sally Ride, Margaret Rhea Seddon, and Kathryn Sullivan.
• The Soyuz Launch Vehicle–Two Lives of an Engineering Triumph, by Christian Lardier and Stefan Barensky (2013). A copiously illustrated tome about the development and use of the venerable Russian rocket.
• The Space Shuttle Decision, by T. A. Heppenheimer (1999). A masterful piece of research and writing, this volume deals with the technical, economic, and political factors in the initial decision to build the Shuttle (time period 1965-1972).
• The Space Shuttle Program: Technologies and Accomplishments, by Davide Sivolella (2017). Excellent review of the shuttle in terms of employing its special characteristics in operational use.
• The Space Shuttle: Celebrating Thirty Years of NASA’s First Space Plane, by Piers Bizony (2011). If you want a 300-page photo album of stunning photographs of the space shuttle, this is a must.
• The Space Tourist’s Handbook, by Eric Anderson and Joshua Piven (2005). The “wealthy hitchhiker’s” guide to space, with emphasis on the details of a Soyuz launch to the International Space Station.
• The Spacelab Story: Science Aboard the Shuttle, by Ben Evans (2024). Tells the full Spacelab story from its inception in the early 1970s until its conclusion at the end of the 20th Century with emphasis on the 22 Shuttle missions on which it was flown.
• The Twenty-First Century In Space, by Ben Evans (2015). The sixth and final volume of space historian Ben Evans’ monumental History of Human Space Exploration series.
• The Ultimate Engineer: The Remarkable Life of NASA’s Visionary Leader George Low, by Richard Jurek (2019). Excellent survey of the life work of the Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office.
• The Value of the Moon, by Paul D. Spudis (2016). Describes a step-by-step infrastructure buildup to mine water from the Moon’s poles and use it for fuel to open up the Solar System.
• The Visioneers, by W. Patrick McCray (2012). “How a Group of Elite Scientists Pursued Space Colonies, Nanotechnologies, and a Limitless Frontier.”
• The Voice of Dr. Wernher Von Braun, edited by Irene E. Powell-Willhite (2007). A collection of speeches by Wernher von Braun.
• The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned, by John Strausbaugh (2024). As the title suggests, the book is extremely negative in tone and hostile to the entire Soviet space effort, from top to bottom, and should be taken with a grain of salt.
• The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space, by Michelle Evans (2013). The definitive book on the X-15, the men who flew her, and the managers and support people who kept her flying.
• The Year in Space 2016 Wall Calendar, by the Planetary Society (2015). A gorgeous space-themed wall calendar filled with facts and photos.
• Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission, by Col. Eileen M. Collins USAF (Retired) with Jonathan H. Ward (2021). All the goals Collins set for herself in writing theis book—inspiration and historical narrative—have been admirably fulfilled. This is one of the essential astronaut autobiographies.
• To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers, by Chris Gainor (2013). A useful overview of the period leading up to the first human spaceflights.
• To Orbit and Back Again: How the Space Shuttle Flew in Space, by Davide Sivolella (2013). A reference about the space shuttle so comprehensive that an astronaut said he could have used it as a textbook for flying the shuttle.
• To Rise From Earth: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to Spaceflight, 2nd Edition, by Jeffrey Bennett (2000). An in-depth, straight-forward, visually pleasing description of all aspects of spaceflight.
• To the End of the Solar System: The Story of the Nuclear Rocket, by James A. Dewar (2008). A comprehensive description of the technical details of the development and testing of the nuclear rocket as well as the politics that sealed its fate.
• Too Far From Home, by Chris Jones (2007). The true story of what it was like to be stranded aboard the International Space Station after the loss of the Shuttle Columbia.
• Touching the Face of the Cosmos: On the Intersection of Space Travel and Religion, edited by Paul Levinson and Michael Waltemathe (2016). An anthology of non-fiction and science fiction exploring various perspectives on space and spirituality.
• Tourists in Space, by Erik Seedhouse (2008). A nuts-and-bolts look at suborbital and orbital space tourism, particularly for those people considering signing up for a ride into space.
• Tragedy and Triumph in Orbit: The Eighties and Early Nineties, by Ben Evans (2012). The fourth volume of “A History of Human Space Exploration” allows the reader to see how truly breathtaking these space adventures were.
• Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, by Allen J. McDonald with James R. Hansen (2009). Tells the story, reading like a thriller, of what caused the loss of seven dedicated souls aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
• Turning Dust to Gold: Building a Future on the Moon and Mars, by Haym Benaroya (2010). The goal of this book is to demonstrate that expanding our civilization to the Moon and beyond is not beyond our reach, intellectually or financially.
• Using Medicine in Science Fiction: The SF Writer’s Guide to Human Biology, by Henry G. Stratmann, MD (2015). A valuable reference and an entertaining education on the effects of spaceflight on humans.
• Utilization of Space, edited by Berndt Feuerbacher and Heinz Stoewer (2005). A comprehensive scholarly book addressing how space contributes to the advancement and betterment of human society.
• Voices from the Moon, byAndrew Chaikin with Victoria Kohl (2009). High-def photos combined with the words of the lunar astronauts themselves makes this book a cut above.
• Von Braun, by Michael Neufeld (2007). Probably the definitive biography of this “dreamer of space, engineer of war.”
• Voyages of Discovery: The Missions of the Space Shuttle Discovery, by Robert Adamcik (2010). Excellent documentation of all of Space Shuttle Discovery’s journeys and crews through 2010.
• We Are the Martians, by Bill Wright and Doug Turnbull (2016). Focuses on the settlement of Mars, extensively illustrated with beautiful original art by Bill Wright.
• Well, Doc, You’re In: Freeman Dyson’s Journey through the Universe, by David Kaiser, Editor (2022). The genius of Kaiser’s book is that each of its ten chapters was written by someone different…someone who knew the “Doc” or had worked with him, or had done deep research into some aspect of the man’s life or career.
• When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach, by Ashlee Vance (2023). One of the best books ever written about NewSpace, the book profiles four space companies: Planet Labs, Rocket Lab, Astra, and Firefly Aerospace.
• Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox, by Stephen Webb (2002). Are there any spacefaring civilizations out there? Either answer leads to a paradox. This stimulating feast for the mind is a scholarly yet highly readable work “for any reader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking.”
• Why Am I Taller? What Happens to an Astronaut’s Body in Space, by Dr. Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howell, PhD (2022). Explores and explains what we know about what happens to the human body when it spends time in space.
• Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships, by Hayley Arceneaux (2022). Hayley served as the medical officer of Inspiration4, the first all-civilian spaceflight, led by Jared Isaacman.
• Willey Ley: Prophet of the Space Age, by Jared S. Buss (2017). This is the first biography of Willy Ley, the popular science writer who did more than anyone else to explain the science and technology of the dawning Space Age to the American public, and who died of a heart attack less than a month before Neil Armstrong put the first bootprint on the Moon.
• Women Spacefarers: Sixty Different Paths to Space, by Umberto Cavallaro (2017). Biographies of sixty women who have flown in space.
• You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes: Photographs from the International Space Station, by Chris Hadfield (2014). Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s photos from the International Space Station provide a delight on every page.