Providing a foundation for space planners and anyone interested in human settlement in the solar system, this book theorizes about the near future, when the heretofore- significant steps of humankind - travelling to the moon and building space stations - will be dwarfed by new progress. Scholars and scientists raise and answer such questions as `Why does space matter to us?' What will ordinary life be like in space?' and `What will our homes be like on Mars or the Moon?'
This collection of findings by professionals documents important research, laying the bricks for space-faring civilizations and even consults future space-dwellers - kids - for their visions. Working from the assumption that humankind has a biological need to explore and improve the quality of life, the wide variety of contributors successfully argue that space as a future human habitat is not simply possible, but manifest.
