Space 2069

A hundred years on from the first Moo landing, where will space exploration have taken us? Astrophysicist David Whitehouse, author of the acclaimed Apollo 11: The Inside Story, takes a timely look at what the next 50 years have in store. A return to the Moon will focus on exploring the lunar south pole, which boasts key resources such as water (as ice) and near-permanent sunlight. A crewed mission to Mars, with its long exposure to solar weather and cosmic rays, will be the greatest Challenge any astronaut has yet faced, but could happen by 2039. The search for extraterrestrial life, meanwhile, will lead us to Jupiter's moon Europa, where in the 2050s robot probes will drill through the frozen surface to the ocean below. Book jacket.