[FPSPACE] Living Off the Land in Space (review)

[LARRY KLAES]

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=1462

Living Off the Land in Space (review)

By Bernd Henschenmacher

In Living off the Land in Space, Gregory Matloff, Les Johnson and artist C. 
Bangs discuss how mankind may colonize the Solar System and travel to nearby 
stars using energy and material resources provided by nature. The whole book 
is devoted to the ‘Living off the Land’ concept, which is introduced in the 
early chapters. Future space travelers, say Matloff et al., will use solar 
energy and mine the asteroids in order to reach other planets in our system 
and, later, stars like Alpha Centauri.

Given the huge distances involved and the difficulties of rapid transport 
from Earth, such methods are the only feasible way for mankind to leave its 
home. The authors draw on historical examples of colonization endeavors here 
on Earth to illustrate that living off the land is quite an old concept. 
Indeed, our species would still be confined to Africa if early humans had 
failed to use the resources they found along the way to new continents and 
islands.

After a short review of propulsion systems (Project Orion and Daedalus, 
interstellar ramjets, antimatter drives and even space warps), the authors 
focus on those concepts that may be available in the not too distant future. 
The reader will find chapters dealing with ion, solar thermal and chemical 
propulsion as well as space tethers and solar sails as methods of pushing 
into deep space. All have the advantage of requiring no fundamental 
breakthrough in physics to achieve the desired result.

Every propulsion system that has ever been envisioned for interstellar 
travel (even anti-gravity devices, the Zero Point Energy concept and the 
like are mentioned) is explained in an easy to understand way, laden with 
but a small amount of mathematics. Science fiction enthusiasts may be 
disappointed to read here that manned interstellar travel will probably take 
millennia and that warp drives are essentially impossible, but the authors’ 
admonition that breakthroughs happen leaves the matter open.

Nevertheless, the goal of the book is to provide a realistic view of what 
might be possible with technologies that are accessible in the near future. 
A wealth of references at the end of each chapter point the way to further 
resources. Living Off the Land in Space should satisfy anyone who wants to 
learn more about space colonization and the propulsion methods that will 
make it happen.