The Future of Human Space Exploration

For several decades it has been widely accepted that human space exploration is the exclusive domain of government agencies. The cost of performing such missions, estimated in multiple reports to amount to hundreds of billions dollars over decades, was far beyond what private entities could afford. That arrangement seems to be changing. Buoyed by the success of its program to develop commercial cargo capabilities to support the International Space Station, NASA is becoming increasingly open to working with the private sector in its human space exploration plans. The new private-public partnership will make 'planet hopping' feasible.  This book analyses the move towards planet hopping, which sees human outposts moving across the planetary dimensions, from the Moon to Near-Earth Asteroids and Mars. It critically assesses the intention to exploit space resources and how successful these missions will be for humanity. This insightful and accessible book will be of great interest to scholars and students of space policy and politics, international studies, and science and technology studies.

Table of Contents:
Introduction.- Chapter 1. Stepping Out of the Cradle: The Exploration of the Solar System from the 1950s to Today.- Chapter 2. Human Space Exploration in the 'Deep Space Proving Grounds'.- Chapter 3. The Great Leap out of the Cradle: The Human Exploration of Our Solar System.- Chapter 4. The Ultimate Challenge: The Exploration and Colonization of Extrasolar Planets.- Chapter 5. The Uncertainties.

About the Author :
Giovanni Bignami is a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, Italy, and of the French Academy. He has held key roles in the European Space Agency, and directed the largest institute for space research in France, a country which awarded him the Legion of Honor. He was elected to the Presidency of the COSPAR (Committee on Space Research), was president of the Italian Space Agency, and was president of the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics.  Andrea Sommariva is an international economist, who specializes in international finance, international monetary policy, the markets for oil and raw materials, renewable energy, and development of space. He is a member of the study group 'Space Mineral Resources: Challenges and Opportunities' at the International Academy of Astronautics. He has worked as an economist and has been an associate professor at LUISS, Rome, Italy, the Catholic University of Milan, Italy, theSDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy, and the China-Europe Management Institute in Beijing, China.

Review :
“This ... book offers a thoughtful and interesting perspective on the prospects for the future of human space exploration in the Solar System and beyond. ... This is a book that will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the potential for the human race to move beyond its current confines. Most importantly, it is founded in reality rather than science fiction and, hence, provides a useful blue-print for space-policy makers to consult.” (Martin Barstow, The Observatory, Vol. 137 (1258), June, 2017)