SpringerBriefs in Space Development

The issues of global warming, pollution (land, water, and air), possible collisions with near-Earth objects such as asteroids or comets, energy shortages, the scarcity of valuable mineral resources, overpopulation, the lack of water resources, and others are very serious problems threatening our survival as a species and, indeed, the survival of our planet.

People often ask, why should we spend money on space when we have so many problems here on Earth? The answer, in fact, is in the question. Because we have so many diverse problems facing our home planet, we must look to space and its development if we are to envision a long-term future for ourselves. We could invest all our money in solving global warming or addressing any of the above-mentioned crises, but solving one or even several of these problems will not in any way guarantee our long-term survival. However, venturing into space gives us a real hope of solving all of the issues involved and is a natural continuation of humankind’s endless quest to expand beyond current borders, to open up new territories to development, and to learn more about the universe. Dr. Stephen Hawking recently warned humankind that we must develop space or face extinction.

We believe that there is a great need for a comprehensive and integrated series of books that provides exploration of the various issues concerning the development of space as a key resource to the future, such as the technologies available and those currently on the drawing boards and being proposed, space infrastructures, terraforming, exploiting the resources of other space bodies, the development of space bases, space medicine and human adaptation to space, space law, and space economics. Individual books will present introductions to these areas as well as provide reviews of current thinking or research in the field.

Under the editorship of Dr. Pelton and under the auspices of the highly regarded International Space University in Strasbourg, France, the series will include contributions from many of the world’s most authoritative space analysts, many of whom are associated with the International Space University. The series will appeal to anyone interested in space development and how it will impact the world economy and society in general. The audience will range from advanced undergraduates through professionals. University instructors will find these books to be invaluable for providing students (and themselves) with greater depth and insight into the role of space development in improving society and giving us a real future.