As a long-time fan of the concept of a Space Elevator, and having previously devoured the thin amount of literature available on this subject, I have been eagerly awaiting this book. I was not disappointed.<\/p>\n
This book, compiled and edited by LiftPort, Inc.<\/a>, has multiple authors; it\u2019s a collection of essays about various aspects of the Space Elevator. Each entry is unique and stands on its own. Some authors tout the benefits to be gained from constructing this highway to the solar system. Others give us a description and\/or suggested solution to a problem to be overcome in its construction while still others create a vision of what civilizations that have Space Elevators might be like. All are valuable and contribute to the theme of the book; Space Elevators will greatly increase our access to earth orbit and beyond and will give humanity its first \u201cbroadband access\u201d to space.<\/p>\n Several of the essays struck a particular chord with me. Joan Horvath\u2019s \u201cTurning Space Launch into a Business<\/em>\u201d does an excellent job of describing the transition of space launches from a government program into a private enterprise. Ben Shelef\u2019s \u201cThe Lifter: The Space Elevator\u2019s Robotic Workhorse<\/em>\u201d and Dr. Kare\u2019s \u201cPowering a Space Elevator<\/em>\u201d give us a good overview of how Lifter\u2019s might actually work. And LiftPort\u2019s own Michael Laine makes a fine case for why private enterprise should take the lead in this undertaking in his essay \u201cThe Business Basics of Space Elevator Development<\/em>\u201d. Other readers will have their own favorites, too, I\u2019m sure. My favorite line in the book is in Piotr Jagodzinski\u2019s excellent essay \u201cWhy International Public Inclusion is Important<\/em>\u201d where he writes \u201c\u2026space should be open for all, not just a few astronauts and a couple of rich guys.\u201d I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n Criticisms? I would like to have seen the issue of Radiation being addressed as well as the issue of Space Debris. Both of these problems are well known and an essay or two sharing the current thinking on these issues would have been quite informative. Finally, a nit; I have to mildly complain about the cover of the book. No serious proposal that I\u2019m aware of has been made to anchor a Space Elevator anywhere but in water, on the equator, usually in the Pacific Ocean. The cover of the book, however, shows a hypothetical Elevator anchored somewhere in the Eastern United States. But none of these criticisms diminish the value of this book. It\u2019s a fine accomplishment and should contribute to LiftPort\u2019s efforts to make Space Elevators something that the public is aware of and, more importantly, demands.<\/p>\n The book is available directly from LiftPort<\/a> and also from Amazon<\/a>. Buy it.<\/p>\n