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The Case for Space: How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility
A noted space expert explains the current revolution in spaceflight, where it leads, and why we need it.
A new space race has begun. But the rivals in this case are not superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. These daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future.
Astronautical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the potential of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is visionary yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges. Fueled by the combined expertise of the old aerospace industry and the talents of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, spaceflight is becoming cheaper. The new generation of space explorers has already achieved a major breakthrough by creating reusable rockets. Zubrin foresees more rapid innovation, including global travel from any point on Earth to another in an hour or less; orbital hotels; moon bases with incredible space observatories; human settlements on Mars, the asteroids, and the moons of the outer planets; and then, breaking all limits, pushing onward to the stars. Zubrin shows how projects that sound like science fiction can actually become reality.
But beyond the how, he makes an even more compelling case for why we need to do this - to increase our knowledge of the universe, to make unforeseen discoveries on new frontiers, to harness the natural resources of other planets, to safeguard Earth from stray asteroids, to ensure the future of humanity by expanding beyond its home base, and to protect us from being catastrophically set against each other by the false belief that there isn't enough for all.
A new space race has begun. But the rivals in this case are not superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. These daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future.
Astronautical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the potential of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is visionary yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges. Fueled by the combined expertise of the old aerospace industry and the talents of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, spaceflight is becoming cheaper. The new generation of space explorers has already achieved a major breakthrough by creating reusable rockets. Zubrin foresees more rapid innovation, including global travel from any point on Earth to another in an hour or less; orbital hotels; moon bases with incredible space observatories; human settlements on Mars, the asteroids, and the moons of the outer planets; and then, breaking all limits, pushing onward to the stars. Zubrin shows how projects that sound like science fiction can actually become reality.
But beyond the how, he makes an even more compelling case for why we need to do this - to increase our knowledge of the universe, to make unforeseen discoveries on new frontiers, to harness the natural resources of other planets, to safeguard Earth from stray asteroids, to ensure the future of humanity by expanding beyond its home base, and to protect us from being catastrophically set against each other by the false belief that there isn't enough for all.
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First published June 11, 2019
About the author
Robert Zubrin
36 books144 followersRobert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of human exploration of Mars. He and his colleague at Martin Marietta, David Baker, were the driving force behind Mars Direct, a proposal in a 1990 research paper intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 22, 2019
Robert Zubrin has a vision of an open future for humanity. Open in that once we open space to encompass our sphere of influence we as a species have the potential to branch out into the infinite. Once we do that, resource wars, and the “it’s either us or them” mentality of some will diminish. Of course Zubrin is realistic in that to make this space future occur, certain technologies have to be fostered or in some cases developed. Truly thought what amazes me about this book is how the author explains that opening up the space frontier can be done with today’s launch technology but will be even more clear once these technologies mature. The entrance of private industry to help conquer some of the grand challenges associated with space flight bodes well for an open idealistic future.
Having read Zubrin’s previous space related books, The Case for Mars, and Entering Space, I know the authors plan for how to move humanity towards becoming a multiplanetary species. The first half of the book chronicles how to accomplish this grand challenge while the second half explain why we should pursue such a course. Overall I found this to be an incredibly optimistic read that explains how to make our future amount the stars possible. I really appreciated Zubrin’s realistic approach to overcoming the challenges that will allow humanity sail the new ocean high above us.
Having read Zubrin’s previous space related books, The Case for Mars, and Entering Space, I know the authors plan for how to move humanity towards becoming a multiplanetary species. The first half of the book chronicles how to accomplish this grand challenge while the second half explain why we should pursue such a course. Overall I found this to be an incredibly optimistic read that explains how to make our future amount the stars possible. I really appreciated Zubrin’s realistic approach to overcoming the challenges that will allow humanity sail the new ocean high above us.
May 31, 2019
Boiled down, this is an update of Zubrin's previous "Entering Space", with some bits & pieces taken from that verbatim. However, the update is much needed in light of the current explosion of entrepreneurial orbital access, and the frustrating flailing of NASA's human space program. I felt that this book was more coherent and a bit less speculative than "Entering Space". I liked the organization of it, with the nuts-and-bolts analyses and summary of current events followed by a section that goes over the imperatives and justifications of humans in space.
An important book, especially for those who think we are wasting our time and resources trying to establish a human presence in space. If the future realizes the more hopeful scenarios presented here, Zubrin will be (as has been said) viewed retrospectively as the Thomas Paine of space exploration.
An important book, especially for those who think we are wasting our time and resources trying to establish a human presence in space. If the future realizes the more hopeful scenarios presented here, Zubrin will be (as has been said) viewed retrospectively as the Thomas Paine of space exploration.
October 25, 2019
Space? Sure, after enough research is done to understand and mitigate the risks to the point where it is ethical to send people for years outside the Earth’s magnetosphere and gravity well.
Zubrin presents his ideas in a somewhat manic tone, and is dismissive of the work biologists have been doing on the long term effects of exposure to radiation in the form of cosmic rays (which seems to lead to increased risk of cancer), and the serious roadblocks in engineering shielding against cosmic rays. Just this makes it difficult to believe he is being realistic, and then his short timelines really put him over the top. It doesn’t help that he takes a dive into the deeper future, which mostly serves as entertainment, and throws in ideas like the “self powering magsail decelerator” idea without mentioning the many tons it would theoretically add to the weight of the spacecraft.
I appreciate his radical optimism when it comes to the potential for humanity to cooperate and find more resources than we could without that cooperation. Maybe his tendency to dismiss practical limitations is a key thing that allows him to get all these opinions out there, and then when other people encounter his ideas, that is when the ideas get balanced by reality.
This is a difficult book to recommend, as it presents itself as nonfiction, and yet the line is blurred as to what is in fantasyland; so, reading it as nonfiction could be misleading. Perhaps add 50-100 years to any speculated timeline, and understand that visions of unproven technology and the framing of many engineering challenges as unnecessary, should be taken with a mountain of salt.
Zubrin presents his ideas in a somewhat manic tone, and is dismissive of the work biologists have been doing on the long term effects of exposure to radiation in the form of cosmic rays (which seems to lead to increased risk of cancer), and the serious roadblocks in engineering shielding against cosmic rays. Just this makes it difficult to believe he is being realistic, and then his short timelines really put him over the top. It doesn’t help that he takes a dive into the deeper future, which mostly serves as entertainment, and throws in ideas like the “self powering magsail decelerator” idea without mentioning the many tons it would theoretically add to the weight of the spacecraft.
I appreciate his radical optimism when it comes to the potential for humanity to cooperate and find more resources than we could without that cooperation. Maybe his tendency to dismiss practical limitations is a key thing that allows him to get all these opinions out there, and then when other people encounter his ideas, that is when the ideas get balanced by reality.
This is a difficult book to recommend, as it presents itself as nonfiction, and yet the line is blurred as to what is in fantasyland; so, reading it as nonfiction could be misleading. Perhaps add 50-100 years to any speculated timeline, and understand that visions of unproven technology and the framing of many engineering challenges as unnecessary, should be taken with a mountain of salt.
June 13, 2019
During my childhood, I was reading space sci-fi all the time. And all the time it felt like the future I will not see. After reading this book I am convinced that this sci-fi future is possible right now, today. Maybe the only problem which stands in a way is that we all convinced ourselves that sci-fi will stay sci-fi forever? Maybe we tell too many fictional stories about space and aliens? Maybe we store it in the memory in the same category as dragons and magic? If that is true, then it's definitely a mistake.
Zubrin describes how and why we must expand to space, colonise the solar system and ultimately reach for the stars. We don't need new physics, we don't need anti-matter of subspace travel. All we need is a will and some reasonable amount of engineering effort put to the right use.
The Case for space is definitely "must read" for pretty much everyone who has any interest in space exploration.
Zubrin describes how and why we must expand to space, colonise the solar system and ultimately reach for the stars. We don't need new physics, we don't need anti-matter of subspace travel. All we need is a will and some reasonable amount of engineering effort put to the right use.
The Case for space is definitely "must read" for pretty much everyone who has any interest in space exploration.
June 8, 2019
The Case for Space is a terrific primer on the current state of commercialized space exploration efforts and why we need them. Zubrin's clear writing is packed fully of information and data (we like data!). He's not merely an aerospace professional, but also a passionate advocate.
This book goes beyond The Case for Mars, offering insights into what awaits us near Jupiter and Saturn, the strengths (and weaknesses) of SpaceX, and why we need a new frontier to drive innovation and prevent cultural and intellectual stagnation.
Pick it up at once. Your brain will thank you later!
This book goes beyond The Case for Mars, offering insights into what awaits us near Jupiter and Saturn, the strengths (and weaknesses) of SpaceX, and why we need a new frontier to drive innovation and prevent cultural and intellectual stagnation.
Pick it up at once. Your brain will thank you later!
August 27, 2023
Місцями надто «науково» як на мій хлопський розум, але все ж доволі цікаво. Читачі, підковані в точних науках, насолодяться цією книжкою більше. Переклад не поганий, але гарної редактури йому явно бракує.
May 29, 2019
In the 22nd century, space historians will credit Zubrin for evangelizing the importance of exploring the heavens.
His books (including this one) champion the idea that space exploration is cheaper than you think.
At the same time, he's realistic.
For example, he recognizes the law of supply and demand.
To calculate the value of abundant platinum in space, you shouldn't just take its terrestrial value and then multiply it by the number of tons you can find.
The value of the metal will drop if much of it is discovered.
Similarly, he recognizes that the moon isn't a gold mine either.
Colonizers will rush for the lunar poles, whose peaks get sunlight over 83% of the time - thereby providing consistent power.
In addition, the poles have ice.
He never explains why we won't consume the lunar ice within a few decades.
It seems that lunar ice is a non-renewable resource since comets aren't depositing fresh ice every Monday.
Zubrin suggests we could use the water for propulsion, gardening, washing, and drinking.
It seems that rocket ships would consume most of this ice within decades. Then what?
Does the lunar base shut down?
I love Zubrin because he stretches our minds.
The unthinkable becomes plausible.
The plausible becomes possible.
The possible becomes reality.
His books (including this one) champion the idea that space exploration is cheaper than you think.
At the same time, he's realistic.
For example, he recognizes the law of supply and demand.
To calculate the value of abundant platinum in space, you shouldn't just take its terrestrial value and then multiply it by the number of tons you can find.
The value of the metal will drop if much of it is discovered.
Similarly, he recognizes that the moon isn't a gold mine either.
Colonizers will rush for the lunar poles, whose peaks get sunlight over 83% of the time - thereby providing consistent power.
In addition, the poles have ice.
He never explains why we won't consume the lunar ice within a few decades.
It seems that lunar ice is a non-renewable resource since comets aren't depositing fresh ice every Monday.
Zubrin suggests we could use the water for propulsion, gardening, washing, and drinking.
It seems that rocket ships would consume most of this ice within decades. Then what?
Does the lunar base shut down?
I love Zubrin because he stretches our minds.
The unthinkable becomes plausible.
The plausible becomes possible.
The possible becomes reality.
August 20, 2022
It's probably unusual, and perhaps indefensible, for a reader to rate a book five stars when there are significant portions of it that the reader doesn't come close to understanding, yet that's what I'm doing here--and with a clear conscience. The Case for Space was recommended to me by a precocious grandchild. I picked it up knowing that it contained a lot of mathematical calculations that would be above my pay grade, but I was curious. I was right about the calculations, but I didn't realize Mr. Zubrin had a lot more on his mind than math in writing this book. There were any number of ideas and subjects that surprised and educated me, including-- more or less in the order of their appearance-- the absolute necessity of controlling the military use of space to prevent losing the next war before it even gets started, the possibility of using skyhooks to raise and lower payloads into orbit, a workable and efficient way--using today's technology--to achieve a Mars landing and subsequent development, engineering the seas through mariculture to add materially to our food supply and save the sea at the same time, the likelihood of a major asteroid (or asteroids) hitting the earth and what we can do about it (not quickly, though), and a strong argument that despite the constant complaints and warnings, it is extremely unlikely that we will exhaust the Earth's resources. And I've left out a few. Maybe I'm just grateful not to have been subject to 300+ pages of technical talk, but I really did enjoy the book. Feel free to skip the calculations of what it would take to achieve interstellar travel, but don't let their presence keep you from reading the fascinating parts that most laymen can readily understand.
June 24, 2023
Alexander saw his five-star rating and wept, for there were no more stars to give...
This is one of the best books I have ever read alongside The Future Of Fusion Energy and Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.
The first part of the book clearly sets out where we currently are with respect to becoming an interplanetary species, and what we need to do to get there, with plenty of quite technical discussions of orbital dynamics along the way.
The second part of the book gives the case for why we should become an interplanetary species and provides a coherent philosophy that seeks to maximise humanity rather than the prevailing petty mentality that we have reached our limits and now we must cut back that has led to poverty in this century and genocide in the previous one.
I strongly recommend the book to anyone interested in human spaceflight, or even just the future of humankind more generally.
This is one of the best books I have ever read alongside The Future Of Fusion Energy and Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty.
The first part of the book clearly sets out where we currently are with respect to becoming an interplanetary species, and what we need to do to get there, with plenty of quite technical discussions of orbital dynamics along the way.
The second part of the book gives the case for why we should become an interplanetary species and provides a coherent philosophy that seeks to maximise humanity rather than the prevailing petty mentality that we have reached our limits and now we must cut back that has led to poverty in this century and genocide in the previous one.
I strongly recommend the book to anyone interested in human spaceflight, or even just the future of humankind more generally.
January 12, 2020
Robert describes a practical path to the stars using existing systems and technologies. It's a grand and exciting vision of space exploration and colonization, though I feel that perhaps it could had been described a little more succinctly.
May 11, 2021
Read for class. Presents some pretty interesting and well-thought out ideas that made me excited about the future of space exploration, but many hinge on technology we don't yet have, making parts of this book, as my professor said, "basically science fiction".
June 12, 2019
Moon, Mars and Beyond
In this book, Dr. Zubrin makes a strong case for the exploration development of space. This book takes the basic message of his 1992 book, "The Case for Mars" and extends it from the Moon to the ends of the Universe. If you are interested in space, you will enjoy this book.
In this book, Dr. Zubrin makes a strong case for the exploration development of space. This book takes the basic message of his 1992 book, "The Case for Mars" and extends it from the Moon to the ends of the Universe. If you are interested in space, you will enjoy this book.
January 7, 2021
The Case for Space provides a good roadmap for the US and other countries and/or corporations interested in the future of spaceflight, space resource utilization, and exploration to and past Mars.
That is about where my praises end for this book. Mr. Zubrin is obviously enthusiastic and dedicated to what could be in terms of the above, but he is not realistic with any of his goals, often content with letting the US or a US-based billionaire picking up the bill. The goals and ideas outlined are admirable but not feasible from a funding or capability standpoint.
We've made drastic gains in space policy the past couple of years which we should appreciate and build on with baby steps. Zubrin tries to make the case that we should sprint, except that we are in a marathon and not a one-miler.
The readability of this book is not particularly easy either. There's too many actual math equations for this book's own good. There is no flow to ideas because the reader is often bogged down in doing the math. I did not enjoy the constant name dropping throughout the book and thought it unnecessary. In other factual space books names are usually associated with important quotes that tie into exactly what the quoted is currently accomplishing or trying to accomplish in the business of space or space policy.
The book is worth a look if you're interested in what possible could and definitely should be accomplished in the next 250+ years (no sarcasm) and because of that most of this book reads as sci-fi trying to be non-fiction. I would not personally recommend it to my colleagues.
That is about where my praises end for this book. Mr. Zubrin is obviously enthusiastic and dedicated to what could be in terms of the above, but he is not realistic with any of his goals, often content with letting the US or a US-based billionaire picking up the bill. The goals and ideas outlined are admirable but not feasible from a funding or capability standpoint.
We've made drastic gains in space policy the past couple of years which we should appreciate and build on with baby steps. Zubrin tries to make the case that we should sprint, except that we are in a marathon and not a one-miler.
The readability of this book is not particularly easy either. There's too many actual math equations for this book's own good. There is no flow to ideas because the reader is often bogged down in doing the math. I did not enjoy the constant name dropping throughout the book and thought it unnecessary. In other factual space books names are usually associated with important quotes that tie into exactly what the quoted is currently accomplishing or trying to accomplish in the business of space or space policy.
The book is worth a look if you're interested in what possible could and definitely should be accomplished in the next 250+ years (no sarcasm) and because of that most of this book reads as sci-fi trying to be non-fiction. I would not personally recommend it to my colleagues.
January 12, 2021
“Ако искаш да построиш кораб, не започвай да караш хората да събират дъски, да разпределяш работата и да даваш заповеди. Вместо това ги научи да копнеят за огромното и безкрайно море.”
Антоан дьо Сент-Екзюпери
Това се опитва да направи и Робърт Зубрин в последната си книга-манифест, "The Case for Space" – нужните знания и средства и причините за човешкото присъствие в космоса, от един от най-пламенните му защитници.
За разлика от по-ранните му творби, тук голямо внимание е обърнато и на частния сектор, предвид огромното му развитие през изминалите години.
П.П. Зубрин е практически ориентиран и не разчита единствено на красивия сантимент на Екзюпери, така че се пригответе и за уравнения, формули, таблици и графики. Явно не е получил предупреждението, отправено към Стивън Хокинг, относно присъствието на тези елементи в книгите и как се отразяват на четаемостта им.
Антоан дьо Сент-Екзюпери
Това се опитва да направи и Робърт Зубрин в последната си книга-манифест, "The Case for Space" – нужните знания и средства и причините за човешкото присъствие в космоса, от един от най-пламенните му защитници.
За разлика от по-ранните му творби, тук голямо внимание е обърнато и на частния сектор, предвид огромното му развитие през изминалите години.
П.П. Зубрин е практически ориентиран и не разчита единствено на красивия сантимент на Екзюпери, така че се пригответе и за уравнения, формули, таблици и графики. Явно не е получил предупреждението, отправено към Стивън Хокинг, относно присъствието на тези елементи в книгите и как се отразяват на четаемостта им.
July 26, 2019
Having read Zubrin's previous two books I was a bit tentative about buying this volume. But it has been significantly updated to reflect the private sector space initiatives of Musk and Bezos. The most compelling point is that the frontier of the New World, and specifically the American West gave birth to liberal Western democracy. Whereas, in contrast, societies with closed frontiers become stale and inward looking. He posits that without a continuously expanding frontier in space, the same fate awaits us all if we remain here on earth.
September 7, 2019
In general I like Zubrins' books. His enthusiasm is contagious. With that being said, while this is an enjoyable book it also did not introduce me to much new. The book is good for someone who wants to be introduced to the concept of colonizing space, but the book is more for the interested general reader. Definitely worth it if you have not already read some of Zubrin's books or not already immersed in the latest developments in our space program.
March 22, 2021
Did you ever simply take a college class for fun? When I was in my last year of undergrad, I audited a class, you know, where you take the class but don’t have a grade, it was an elective on space exploration. No surprises here but I loved it. Robert Zubrin’s The Case for Space is another continuation of my personal search to learn more on this topic and it's just an all-around great exploration of what happens if we continue our progress and start commercializing space. Reading this book is a lot like auditing a class on space exploration. Yes, Zubrin’s a famous astronautical engineer and gets into some super dense mathematical and science concepts but if you’re just along for the ride, it’s really enjoyable.
One kind of out there, fun concept, was AR/VR Ghost Geologists, where people on earth explore the terrain from home and then flag anomalies for robots or maybe even people on the Moon or Mars to pick up certain rocks while they are out on surface walks… so imagine a person on Earth wearing a VR headset directing either a person or machine to pick up samples while on a different planet or other space body. I mean, truly out-there stuff but that’s honestly, totally believable and kind of what we already do on Mars. As Zubrin points out, NASA already has invited the public to do this with images from the Mars Orbiter. He optimistically states, “Millions of part-time ghosts will be needed to help them out. You can be one of them.”
I can totally see myself reading this book every couple of years because of all the inspiring research and interesting scientific breakthroughs he covers. Also, he highlights a lot of emerging future tech possibilities that are crazy exciting and have huge implications for all of us.
All in all, this was a dense yet relatively easy listen for me because I love the topic so much. Make no mistake though, this book is wonky. At times it could be bleak with his projections on what might happen if we don’t fund things or change course on some major policy decisions. It’s also wildly honest with what will probably happen in space. At times, this was exhilarating and left me hopeful for the future of humanity. He basically challenges that it doesn’t have to be just like Earth. We don’t have to replicate the same mistakes over, and over again. He argues that the same resourcefulness and camaraderie of the settlers of previous eras will definitely inform projections on the ways we will engage each other in space. I definitely squealed with joy at a couple of parts because the possibilities he explored were SO FREAKING OUT THERE! One of my absolutely favorite parts though was where he explained things in simple terms. One example of this is when he outlines immigration to Mars and what practical costs could look like:
Here’s an excerpt from the book that I loved on human settlement!
“Let’s take Mars, for example. The Red planet is a world with a surface area equal to all the continents of the Earth put together, containing all the resources necessary for life and technological civilization. But who will be able to afford to go there? At these transportation prices, anyone with a skill. One only has to look at American colonial history to understand this. Middle-class people, like many of the Pilgrims, paid for their one-way passage to America by liquidating their homes and farms. Commons artisans, without such capital, paid their way offering seven year’s work in the new world. The modern-day equivalent, in either case, is about $300,000, roughly the same as a settlers ticket to Mars at the $2,000-per-kilogram rate. In short, the day is not far off when the settlement of Mars will be as practical a proposition as the voyages of the Mayflower and the ships that followed her to create a New England in Massachusetts Bay.”
Now, I loved, loved loved loved, this book. He just does a wonderful job breaking up deep, complex challenges into coherent topics and themes. He also explores the implications of many of these scientific breakthroughs that sound like science fiction and explains how they can actually become reality. I’m giving this book four out of five stars. If you’re curious about space exploration, reading this book should be a no-brainer.
One kind of out there, fun concept, was AR/VR Ghost Geologists, where people on earth explore the terrain from home and then flag anomalies for robots or maybe even people on the Moon or Mars to pick up certain rocks while they are out on surface walks… so imagine a person on Earth wearing a VR headset directing either a person or machine to pick up samples while on a different planet or other space body. I mean, truly out-there stuff but that’s honestly, totally believable and kind of what we already do on Mars. As Zubrin points out, NASA already has invited the public to do this with images from the Mars Orbiter. He optimistically states, “Millions of part-time ghosts will be needed to help them out. You can be one of them.”
I can totally see myself reading this book every couple of years because of all the inspiring research and interesting scientific breakthroughs he covers. Also, he highlights a lot of emerging future tech possibilities that are crazy exciting and have huge implications for all of us.
All in all, this was a dense yet relatively easy listen for me because I love the topic so much. Make no mistake though, this book is wonky. At times it could be bleak with his projections on what might happen if we don’t fund things or change course on some major policy decisions. It’s also wildly honest with what will probably happen in space. At times, this was exhilarating and left me hopeful for the future of humanity. He basically challenges that it doesn’t have to be just like Earth. We don’t have to replicate the same mistakes over, and over again. He argues that the same resourcefulness and camaraderie of the settlers of previous eras will definitely inform projections on the ways we will engage each other in space. I definitely squealed with joy at a couple of parts because the possibilities he explored were SO FREAKING OUT THERE! One of my absolutely favorite parts though was where he explained things in simple terms. One example of this is when he outlines immigration to Mars and what practical costs could look like:
Here’s an excerpt from the book that I loved on human settlement!
“Let’s take Mars, for example. The Red planet is a world with a surface area equal to all the continents of the Earth put together, containing all the resources necessary for life and technological civilization. But who will be able to afford to go there? At these transportation prices, anyone with a skill. One only has to look at American colonial history to understand this. Middle-class people, like many of the Pilgrims, paid for their one-way passage to America by liquidating their homes and farms. Commons artisans, without such capital, paid their way offering seven year’s work in the new world. The modern-day equivalent, in either case, is about $300,000, roughly the same as a settlers ticket to Mars at the $2,000-per-kilogram rate. In short, the day is not far off when the settlement of Mars will be as practical a proposition as the voyages of the Mayflower and the ships that followed her to create a New England in Massachusetts Bay.”
Now, I loved, loved loved loved, this book. He just does a wonderful job breaking up deep, complex challenges into coherent topics and themes. He also explores the implications of many of these scientific breakthroughs that sound like science fiction and explains how they can actually become reality. I’m giving this book four out of five stars. If you’re curious about space exploration, reading this book should be a no-brainer.
September 16, 2022
When a friend rated Robert Zubrin’s The Case for Space five stars, I was all in for two reasons: Five stars from a perceptive friend is attention grabbing, and outer space is a hot button topic for me (more on that in a moment). So now that I’ve read the book (well, most of it), I’m glad I did, but it’s not five stars for me.
As my friend suggested, the book is jammed full of mind-bending ideas that make The Case for Space a worthwhile read. Zubrin describes advanced fission and fusion propulsion rocket systems, innovative habitats that can sustain life on distant planets (or on asteroids or moons), creative ways to lighten rocket loads dramatically, multi-generational groups traveling across our galaxy for a century or more, the multitude of planets beyond our solar system that could sustain life, why space exploration is essential, and more. Believe me, I’ve only scratched the surface of the far-ranging ideas Zubrin includes, and I’ve omitted some of the wilder ideas so as not to present spoilers. The Case for Space is an encyclopedic read.
And as my friend suggested, there’s lots of math in this book; no, it’s a surfeit of math (no, what’s more than a surfeit?). The calculations, the formulas, the proofs, the parade of numbers, the technical terms all were “above my pay grade” (as my friend said for himself). But unlike my friend, I allowed the drumbeat of math to frustrate me and interfere with my enjoyment of the book. And to be honest, I skimmed much of the math (which to belabor the point, meant a lot of skimming).
So, I liked Zubrin’s abundance of ideas but was frustrated/distracted by the numbers. I kept asking whether so much math was necessary. What’s more, I learned something about myself: My interest in space is much narrower than I had realized and, of course, much narrower than Zubrin’s vast collection of concepts, beliefs, and hopes about space.
I’m mesmerized by astronomy and astrophysics on subjects like how there are hundreds of billions of stars in hundred of billions of galaxies…what preceded the Big Bang…how the universe itself is expanding…why the universe exists at all…what telescopes launched into space are revealing about distant stars and their surrounding planets. But when it comes to space, I’m not interested in “getting there”—propulsion systems, escape velocities, biosphere living, health risks of weightlessness and radiation, and political squabbles over mission goals. When I said outer space is a hot button for me, The Case for Space made me realize my interests are narrow, not broad like Robert Zubrin’s. It was a valuable aha! moment for me, and it led me (probably unfairly) to give only three stars to Zubrin’s book.
All this is to say the best I can do is three stars for The Case for Space. It’s full of fascinating ideas, but it’s also full of math. And now I realize, my outer space interests are fairly narrow, which is a valuable learning in itself.
As my friend suggested, the book is jammed full of mind-bending ideas that make The Case for Space a worthwhile read. Zubrin describes advanced fission and fusion propulsion rocket systems, innovative habitats that can sustain life on distant planets (or on asteroids or moons), creative ways to lighten rocket loads dramatically, multi-generational groups traveling across our galaxy for a century or more, the multitude of planets beyond our solar system that could sustain life, why space exploration is essential, and more. Believe me, I’ve only scratched the surface of the far-ranging ideas Zubrin includes, and I’ve omitted some of the wilder ideas so as not to present spoilers. The Case for Space is an encyclopedic read.
And as my friend suggested, there’s lots of math in this book; no, it’s a surfeit of math (no, what’s more than a surfeit?). The calculations, the formulas, the proofs, the parade of numbers, the technical terms all were “above my pay grade” (as my friend said for himself). But unlike my friend, I allowed the drumbeat of math to frustrate me and interfere with my enjoyment of the book. And to be honest, I skimmed much of the math (which to belabor the point, meant a lot of skimming).
So, I liked Zubrin’s abundance of ideas but was frustrated/distracted by the numbers. I kept asking whether so much math was necessary. What’s more, I learned something about myself: My interest in space is much narrower than I had realized and, of course, much narrower than Zubrin’s vast collection of concepts, beliefs, and hopes about space.
I’m mesmerized by astronomy and astrophysics on subjects like how there are hundreds of billions of stars in hundred of billions of galaxies…what preceded the Big Bang…how the universe itself is expanding…why the universe exists at all…what telescopes launched into space are revealing about distant stars and their surrounding planets. But when it comes to space, I’m not interested in “getting there”—propulsion systems, escape velocities, biosphere living, health risks of weightlessness and radiation, and political squabbles over mission goals. When I said outer space is a hot button for me, The Case for Space made me realize my interests are narrow, not broad like Robert Zubrin’s. It was a valuable aha! moment for me, and it led me (probably unfairly) to give only three stars to Zubrin’s book.
All this is to say the best I can do is three stars for The Case for Space. It’s full of fascinating ideas, but it’s also full of math. And now I realize, my outer space interests are fairly narrow, which is a valuable learning in itself.
February 17, 2022
The Case for Space : How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up a Future of Limitless Possibility (2019) by Robert Zubrin is Zubrin’s latest book on how near term spaceflight and missions to the Moon and to Mars should be done and how further travel into the solar system is possible and how interstellar travel is also technologically feasible.
The book Project Orion : The Atomic Spaceship really changed my view of space travel by showing that it was physically possible to travel to other stars and that this had been seriously explored as an idea. Zubrin’s books do the same and will hopefully expose many more people to these ideas.
The book is an update of Entering Space, a previous book by Zubrin. What has changed since that book was published in 2000 is SpaceX. SpaceX’s remarkable reduction in the cost of sending things to orbit has significantly changed the outlook for near term space exploration. He’s also the founder of the Mars Society. Elon Musk has clearly absorbed many of Zubrin’s ideas and has met him.
Zubrin has a PhD in nuclear engineering and a Masters in Aeronautics. So he is an ideal position to describe what kinds of propulsion systems are possible for the near term exploration of space using nuclear power. The book is full of references and figures on the delta-V of different propulsion systems and how they could be refueled using the resources on the Moon, Mars and other planets.
The book is divided into two parts, ‘How we can’ and ‘why we must’ where Zubrin writes about the how and why of space exploration. The How Sections are better, there Zubrin describes how we can go from being a Kardashev Type 1 world spanning civilization to a Type 2 solar system spanning and then to a Type 3 or galactic spanning civilization. The Why Section is weaker. Spreading and ensuring the survival of life is surely enough of a reason for space exploration.
The detail in the book is remarkable, Zubrin goes through many planets, moons and asteroids and describes how they could be used.
The book ends with a summary of what we can all do to help advance space exploration.
The Case for Space isn’t as tight as Entering Space, but because it has the updated information from the remarkable developments by SpaceX it’s very much worth a read. Indeed it’s probably the book to read if choosing between the two because of this.
The book Project Orion : The Atomic Spaceship really changed my view of space travel by showing that it was physically possible to travel to other stars and that this had been seriously explored as an idea. Zubrin’s books do the same and will hopefully expose many more people to these ideas.
The book is an update of Entering Space, a previous book by Zubrin. What has changed since that book was published in 2000 is SpaceX. SpaceX’s remarkable reduction in the cost of sending things to orbit has significantly changed the outlook for near term space exploration. He’s also the founder of the Mars Society. Elon Musk has clearly absorbed many of Zubrin’s ideas and has met him.
Zubrin has a PhD in nuclear engineering and a Masters in Aeronautics. So he is an ideal position to describe what kinds of propulsion systems are possible for the near term exploration of space using nuclear power. The book is full of references and figures on the delta-V of different propulsion systems and how they could be refueled using the resources on the Moon, Mars and other planets.
The book is divided into two parts, ‘How we can’ and ‘why we must’ where Zubrin writes about the how and why of space exploration. The How Sections are better, there Zubrin describes how we can go from being a Kardashev Type 1 world spanning civilization to a Type 2 solar system spanning and then to a Type 3 or galactic spanning civilization. The Why Section is weaker. Spreading and ensuring the survival of life is surely enough of a reason for space exploration.
The detail in the book is remarkable, Zubrin goes through many planets, moons and asteroids and describes how they could be used.
The book ends with a summary of what we can all do to help advance space exploration.
The Case for Space isn’t as tight as Entering Space, but because it has the updated information from the remarkable developments by SpaceX it’s very much worth a read. Indeed it’s probably the book to read if choosing between the two because of this.
October 11, 2021
As fascinating as this book is, I imagine Zubrin's earlier book, The Case for Mars (which admittedly I have not read), is much more grounded in reality and possibility. There is a whole lot of theoretical speculation happening in The Case for Space, along with a supersized portion of wishful thinking. As a lay reader, I cannot speak to the validity of the physics Zubrin presents in his "case" for how humans will eventually reach the stars, but I am always immediately skeptical when I see a phrase like "limitless possibility" that he uses in the subtitle.
If physics teaches us anything, it helps us understand that the universe has laws that can't be broken and limits that can't be overcome. Zubrin's lofty ideas of how humans will eventually be able to leave the solar system and explore the galaxy, over the course of many generations or even through more complex biological procedures, may be theoretically possible, but the perfect alignment of circumstances required to turn these ideas into achievements sounds more like science fiction to me.
I suspect Zubrin will turn off some readers and make them suspicious of most of his thesis when early on in the book he elaborates on the necessity for the U.S. to take seriously its extraterrestrial defense systems. President Trump's launch of Space Force comes to mind, along with decades of space-based operations by the military going back to the Reagan era with the Strategic Defense Initiative, often dubbed "Star Wars Defense System." The fact that Zubrin spends a good portion of the remaining chapters explaining how all humanity will have to work together to escape the solar system almost sets up a contradictory argument. Also, we have to wonder if our species will survive long enough to accomplish even a portion of what he envisions.
We must also keep in mind that the author has some skin in the game when it comes to space exploration given that he has founded several organizations devoted to such ventures, including Pioneer Astronautics. These associations give him vast knowledge about the subject, but they also shine a light on his biases. If we don't take the book too seriously and just enjoy dreaming about the "what ifs" of the final frontier, then The Case for Space is a fun and interesting read. And in the end, who knows?
If physics teaches us anything, it helps us understand that the universe has laws that can't be broken and limits that can't be overcome. Zubrin's lofty ideas of how humans will eventually be able to leave the solar system and explore the galaxy, over the course of many generations or even through more complex biological procedures, may be theoretically possible, but the perfect alignment of circumstances required to turn these ideas into achievements sounds more like science fiction to me.
I suspect Zubrin will turn off some readers and make them suspicious of most of his thesis when early on in the book he elaborates on the necessity for the U.S. to take seriously its extraterrestrial defense systems. President Trump's launch of Space Force comes to mind, along with decades of space-based operations by the military going back to the Reagan era with the Strategic Defense Initiative, often dubbed "Star Wars Defense System." The fact that Zubrin spends a good portion of the remaining chapters explaining how all humanity will have to work together to escape the solar system almost sets up a contradictory argument. Also, we have to wonder if our species will survive long enough to accomplish even a portion of what he envisions.
We must also keep in mind that the author has some skin in the game when it comes to space exploration given that he has founded several organizations devoted to such ventures, including Pioneer Astronautics. These associations give him vast knowledge about the subject, but they also shine a light on his biases. If we don't take the book too seriously and just enjoy dreaming about the "what ifs" of the final frontier, then The Case for Space is a fun and interesting read. And in the end, who knows?
February 14, 2020
Bob Zubrin will always be remembered as one of the most intelligent and passionate advocates for the future of human spaceflight. Back in 2004, he signed my copy of his book The Case for Mars during a trip he made to Waverly, Iowa. Now he has written a book describing the recent developments in commercial spaceflight and their implications in making outer space more accessible to the human race. He explains that for most of spaceflight history, the cost of launching an object into orbit has held steady at about $10,000 per kilogram. This high cost has made spaceflight unappealing, but there is no law of physics that requires spaceflight to be this expensive. Over the last decade, SpaceX has proven this with their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters that have driven the price down to $2,000 per kilogram. Entrepreneurs have therefore begun a revolution in spaceflight that Zubrin believes could eventually result in the cost going down to $200 per kilogram. Spaceflight will become gradually less burdensome and more appealing as a result.
From there, he explains the benefits that await the human race as this revolution progresses: travel by rocket to any point on Earth in less than an hour, research laboratories, industries, and hotels in Earth orbit, a base on the Moon for scientific research and the mining of helium-3 (which can then be used as a source of energy in nuclear fusion reactors), city-states on Mars, voyages to the outer solar system to utilize the more abundant helium supplies that will meet the energy needs of the future, and eventually spacecraft that will reach across light years of distance to other stars. The technical detail in this book makes for a daunting read at times for people who are not engineers, but I am inspired by Zubrin's intelligence and clarity of thought as he explains the possibilities in the decades and centuries ahead.
From there, he explains the benefits that await the human race as this revolution progresses: travel by rocket to any point on Earth in less than an hour, research laboratories, industries, and hotels in Earth orbit, a base on the Moon for scientific research and the mining of helium-3 (which can then be used as a source of energy in nuclear fusion reactors), city-states on Mars, voyages to the outer solar system to utilize the more abundant helium supplies that will meet the energy needs of the future, and eventually spacecraft that will reach across light years of distance to other stars. The technical detail in this book makes for a daunting read at times for people who are not engineers, but I am inspired by Zubrin's intelligence and clarity of thought as he explains the possibilities in the decades and centuries ahead.
December 2, 2019
I want to give this book 5 stars for its vision, boldness, and optimism; 2 stars for its... naivete?.. and, as I shudder at my own "wokeness," blinkered history; and 3 or maybe 4 stars for schematic programs or predictions or what-ever it is best to call them. So I have to settle for a 3-star overall rating.
Leaving aside the other stuff, I did find some of the "technical" discussion on asteroid mining, settlement, etc. annoying for one recurring reason. He likes to say things like 'having solved the problem of getting stuff into orbit on the cheap, we'll need to sort out settlement on the asteroids; and once that is done, we'll be able to mine and ship back metals in bulk by extracting them and storing them by transforming them via the reaction X + Y(CO)4 + ...' So that he's giving very specific e.g. proposed chemical transformations (nevermind how you would actually get the reactions done) AFTER completely glossing over setting up mining operations and settlements on asteroids. He might as well have included 30 significant digits in all his thrust/impulse figures. Anyway, that kept sticking out to me like a splinter in a sore thumb.
His optimism on human shittiness is well received, generally, and, damn do we need it given the atmosphere of defeatism, self-flagellation, etc. that has taken over the (in particular) left in the US... but is TOO optimistic. People are in fact shitty, and we need to think about that in planning for the future, not just write it off.
Leaving aside the other stuff, I did find some of the "technical" discussion on asteroid mining, settlement, etc. annoying for one recurring reason. He likes to say things like 'having solved the problem of getting stuff into orbit on the cheap, we'll need to sort out settlement on the asteroids; and once that is done, we'll be able to mine and ship back metals in bulk by extracting them and storing them by transforming them via the reaction X + Y(CO)4 + ...' So that he's giving very specific e.g. proposed chemical transformations (nevermind how you would actually get the reactions done) AFTER completely glossing over setting up mining operations and settlements on asteroids. He might as well have included 30 significant digits in all his thrust/impulse figures. Anyway, that kept sticking out to me like a splinter in a sore thumb.
His optimism on human shittiness is well received, generally, and, damn do we need it given the atmosphere of defeatism, self-flagellation, etc. that has taken over the (in particular) left in the US... but is TOO optimistic. People are in fact shitty, and we need to think about that in planning for the future, not just write it off.
June 9, 2020
A powerful call to the future.
To first address my own bias, I am an advocate of space exploration and colonization. Not just because I grew up with science fiction, but because I do sincerely believe that we will gain more from heading to the stars and tapping its riches than we could ever hope to do than by sitting around on Earth and trying to apply our old solutions to planetary problems. Interest in the stars has given us satellites, global communications, and much, much more. Imagine what we might do if we expanded beyond our little blue marble and studied more?
Robert Zubrin makes this case very persuasively. Across this short book he passionately lays out scientifically and philosophically why we must go to space. I may disagree with some of his philosophy, and I'm sure there are those who disagree with his science, he nevertheless presents a compelling argument for why the revolution in affordable space flight gives us options for a bright future among the stars.
It is a compelling vision, and I absolutely agree with him that we should be looking to the stars, or at the very least the planets around us for visions of the future. This is certainly a must read if you want to imagine a brighter future for humanity.
To first address my own bias, I am an advocate of space exploration and colonization. Not just because I grew up with science fiction, but because I do sincerely believe that we will gain more from heading to the stars and tapping its riches than we could ever hope to do than by sitting around on Earth and trying to apply our old solutions to planetary problems. Interest in the stars has given us satellites, global communications, and much, much more. Imagine what we might do if we expanded beyond our little blue marble and studied more?
Robert Zubrin makes this case very persuasively. Across this short book he passionately lays out scientifically and philosophically why we must go to space. I may disagree with some of his philosophy, and I'm sure there are those who disagree with his science, he nevertheless presents a compelling argument for why the revolution in affordable space flight gives us options for a bright future among the stars.
It is a compelling vision, and I absolutely agree with him that we should be looking to the stars, or at the very least the planets around us for visions of the future. This is certainly a must read if you want to imagine a brighter future for humanity.
September 25, 2019
Best visionary book explaining the human quest to become a multi-planetary species that I have ever read. I really appreciated the math and physics Zubrin used to explain all three stages of the human space development. I found it to be very interesting and compelling that the same delta V to get from low earth orbit to the moon is the same going from low earth orbit to Mars. Also, I found Zubrin's explanation of 1st and 2nd stage rocketry and the tables and graphs describing it to be the best yet. I think he also has the best explanation of the business case for point to point space lift. I also learned a lot about the capabilities of the moon and other planets in producing energy and acting as catapults to launch vehicles all over the solar system. There is a lot of evidence from this book that I will reference in the future. If you are interested in our quest for human exploration and the business cases for future space development, please read this book.
December 18, 2021
Interesting and compelling, but needlessly complex
This was a very interesting look at all manner of topics related to the exploration, use, and eventual colonization of space. It has a huge wealth of material in one place and laid out a compelling case. I would recommend it for someone interested in space.
That being said, the author went into too much detail on formulae, chemical compounds, etc. In a physical book, I would probably have skimmed past most of this. However, I read this as an audiobook and all of that was just annoyingly wasted time.
I think the author should produce something like a ‘lite’ version of this book without the mathematical detail. That could reach a broader audience and would be much more suited for audio.
This was a very interesting look at all manner of topics related to the exploration, use, and eventual colonization of space. It has a huge wealth of material in one place and laid out a compelling case. I would recommend it for someone interested in space.
That being said, the author went into too much detail on formulae, chemical compounds, etc. In a physical book, I would probably have skimmed past most of this. However, I read this as an audiobook and all of that was just annoyingly wasted time.
I think the author should produce something like a ‘lite’ version of this book without the mathematical detail. That could reach a broader audience and would be much more suited for audio.
May 7, 2020
Great book making a powerful case for space. This is specifically so, given what Bob argues as the change that has happened in space technology; from expendable to reusable rockets. That is changing the game of space, and more importantly so, by private actors. Bob makes the case that for space launch and travel to become commonplace, we have to increase the number of launches at scale, so that the cost of launches can be shared across multitudes, a bit like what happened with the use of airplanes.
Great book and an easy read.
Great book and an easy read.
August 28, 2023
Zubrin explains why the next big challenge for humanity should be space exploration and how we can advance it with the current technology.
He sees potential in the private-founded companies in this sector (like SpaceX). They can achieve what seems to be impossible through government funds.
He proposes several possible solutions: from a nuclear sphere that can melt the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa to investigate the ocean underneath to a sky hook for launching goods into space.
He also gives a mathematical explanation in some aspects to prove his solutions are possible.
He sees potential in the private-founded companies in this sector (like SpaceX). They can achieve what seems to be impossible through government funds.
He proposes several possible solutions: from a nuclear sphere that can melt the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa to investigate the ocean underneath to a sky hook for launching goods into space.
He also gives a mathematical explanation in some aspects to prove his solutions are possible.
November 16, 2020
wow that all I can say. I thought I was good at math until this book, now I know that I suck. great book even with the few contradictions that are presented in it like when he disputes the science on caring capacity but want to support the science of how off world life can be. You know the trading known provable/ proven science for theoretical science. Any way it was a good read to let you know how advanced some things are.
July 10, 2021
Moon bases, orbital hotels, human settlements on Mars – you name it. This book has everything. It's like reading science fiction, but each of the "crazy ideas" is discussed in detail and based on arguments and mathematical calculations. Sometimes it was hard for me to understand all the equations (and there were a lot of them). But this book is definitely a must read for all spacesettlers and spacefarers.
December 5, 2020
Overall I liked this book and found it very informative. There were certain parts that were more technical than I was interested in but there are other readers who will appreciate it. I learned a lot of new things and got better clarification on some that I already new. I hope this book will achieve its objective in inspiring and educating others to achieve a space faring civilization.
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