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Leonard David
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Moon Rush: The New Space Race Kindle Edition

by Leonard David (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 63 ratings
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Veteran space journalist digs into the science and technology--past, present, and future--central to our explorations of Earth's only satellite, the space destination most hotly pursued today.

In these rich pages, veteran science journalist Leonard David explores the moon in all its facets, from ancient myth to future "Moon Village" plans. Illustrating his text with maps, graphics, and photographs, David offers inside information about how the United States, allies and competitors, as well as key private corporations like Moon Express and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, plan to reach, inhabit, and even harvest the moon in the decades to come.

Spurred on by the Google Lunar XPRIZE--$20 million for the first to get to the moon and send images home--the 21st-century space race back to the moon has become more urgent, and more timely, than ever. Accounts of these new strategies are set against past efforts, including stories never before told about the Apollo missions and Cold War plans for military surveillance and missile launches from the moon. Timely and fascinating, this book sheds new light on our constant lunar companion, offering reasons to gaze up and see it in a different way than ever before.

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  1. Print length
    217 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    National Geographic
  5. Publication date
    May 7, 2019
  6. File size
    52411 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Leonard David, author of Moon Rush: The New Space Race, sees the Apollo astronauts’ scientific work as unfinished, but critical to understanding not only the moon’s origins, but also that of our own planet and potential Earth-like exoplanets.” –History.com

“There’s a whole lot of buzz about such possibilities, but David is the first to offer a cohesive vision of what scientists, industry, and the world’s space-faring governments have in mind.” –Wired

"My new book for National Geographic – Moon Rush: The New Space Race – will be launched next May, a volume that explores the Moon in all its facets, from ancient myth to future “Moon Village” plans; inside information about how the United States, allies and competitors, as well as key private corporations like Moon Express and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, plan to reach, inhabit, and even harvest the Moon in the decades to come." –Leonarddavid.com/starstruck

"Award-winning space journalist Leonard David covers lunar science as well as the other motivations to go to the moon...In addition to a foreword by Buzz Aldrin, there’s an afterword by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, the last person alive to set foot on the moon." –Geekwire

“There’s a growing commercial and international interest in robotic and human missions to the Moon, stimulated by tried-and-true national prestige or more uncertain business prospects. That’s nicely summarized in Moon Rush, the latest book by veteran space journalist Leonard David…But unlike so many other books this year that look backward to Apollo 11 and the early Space Age, most of Moon Rush primarily looks ahead to the future of lunar exploration.” –The Space Review

About the Author

Dan Woren is an American voice actor and Earphones Award-winning narrator. He has worked extensively in animation, video games, and feature films. He is best known for his many roles in anime productions such as Bleach and as the voice of Sub-Zero in the video game Mortal Kombat.



Leonard David has been reporting on space science and exploration for more than fifty years. His writing has appeared in the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Private Air, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, and Aerospace America. David has been a consultant to NASA, other government agencies, and the aerospace industry and currently serves as SPACE.com's Space Insider columnist. He is the author of Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet and coauthor of Buzz Aldrin's Mission to Mars.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07GD5PFD1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ National Geographic; Illustrated edition (May 7, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 7, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 52411 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 217 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

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Leonard David

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
63 global ratings
Fun for a quick learn.
3 Stars
Fun for a quick learn.
On one hand, it’s fun. Background on moon research and missions. Some guesses for the future. A nice gift for anyone mildly interested in moon travel and study.However, I found it whimsical, and by that I mean… it needs another editor. I blahs on sometimes. When it’s technical stuff it’s ok but the whimsical and descriptions got really annoying and wordy.E.g. unnecessary descriptors like the use of “That diminutive sphere” to refer to Sputnik 1: “Rocketed into orbit by the Soviet Union, Sputnik 1 was a sobering escort of Earth. That diminutive sphere acted as a warning sign to the United States…”e.g. unnecessary sentences like the second one here “The Moon’s south pole is more and more a favored location for exploration. A confluence of factors make it so.” (no duh; it goes on to explain the factors)These sloppy filler phrases really took me away from the cool stuff.Also it really needs more pictures.
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Top reviews from the United States

Robert G Yokoyama
5.0 out of 5 stars Moon Rush is an insightful book about a fascinating subject.
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
Moon Rush is a book that opens my eyes to the immense potential of the moon. The moon's soil has a element called Helium 3. This can be a source of nuclear power, and this means that a settlement can be established on the moon. Every piece of information fascinates me in this book. I am curious to learn how water can be extracted from the moon. I am also curious about hydrogen and oxygen can be extracted from water to create rocket fuel. I am equally curious to learn how uranium and thorium can be extracted, and what they are used for. I think both of these things can be made into alternative sources of energy. All of this information makes me want to learn more about the moon and do my own research. I learned how valuable moon rocks are. Leonard David points that simple moon rocks are worth up to almost one million dollars.

A gateway space station is being developed that will enable human beings to live and work on the moon for up to 90 days at a time. A moon elevator is also in the works. It starts on the surface of the moon and goes into space. This invention would make moon experiments easier and quicker to do. It would also be fascinating to drink a glass of water that came out of the moon. It would probably be purer like any water on earth. These are amazing innovations, and I love Leonard David's optimism. But, I also appreciate the information he shares about the negative aspects of the moon. Lunar dust is toxic to the lungs is all around the moon's surface. Radiation from solar flares can be equally deadly to people. I learned so much about the moon because of this book.
2 people found this helpful
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DSA
4.0 out of 5 stars Tasted good but stirred the pot too often and missed adding spicy ingredients to liven it up.
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
I purchased this along with Mars: Our Future On The Red Planet, which I am reading now. Moon Rush was a quick read for me, which is both good and bad. It contains a lot of information on the history of both human and robotic missions to our satellite. And a great deal of that was new for me.

However, it felt at times as though the author was rehashing things that he had just talked about in the previous page or section. Maybe the intent was to drive home a point, but it sometimes felt like it didn’t need to be stirred anymore… Kinda like in the movie The Dark Knight, how it could have ended several times but the director just wouldn’t let it go. Batman good (sort of), Joker bad… Finish him off already.

But getting back to Moon Rush. I did enjoy it a great deal. But instead of regurgitating what was just written I would have been better informed to learn more about the government and private sector efforts to return to the Moon and stay this time.

Though it did leave me with the distinct impression that there are too many entities trying to go it alone, which will only serve to create disorder and disharmony on the surface and in orbit around the Moon. If I learned anything from the book it’s that we must all work together to create a unified plan to return to the Moon and then push on to Mars. That there needs to be an International Space Alliance, instead of the growing number of worldwide government space agencies, as well as the multiplying number of private sector companies. We will succeed best, at the lowest cost, in the safest and most efficient manner if we choose to explore and populate outer space together. The International Space Station should be our model, but refined to encourage all national space agencies to create a seat at the table. NASA, the ESA, CNSA, Roscosmos, JAXA, the Canadian and Indian agencies, etc. Unite together and we’ll have a new, larger ISS, a Gateway Station, a Lunar colony, and be well on our way to building the spacecraft in Lunar orbit that will take humanity on to Mars. And perhaps along the way we will have the inspiration and willpower to solve a few of the many issues our planet and species have allowed to gestate unchecked.

In closing let me add that I would have liked to see a chapter on developments that are unfolding, maybe still in the “dream it up” stages, or even moving off the drawing board, for finally getting past our 6 decade long (and counting) reliance on chemical rockets for all the heavy lifting to orbit and on to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Where are the space reactors, plasma and ion engines, the rotating taurus to create artificial gravity, etc.? If Hollywood can rein in their daydreams to give us a plausible ship like the Hermes from The Martian, why aren’t governments and corporations funding the bold research that will surely cut months off a trip to Mars and protect the crews from radiation and zero G maladies?

We need bold thinking to create a realistic community on Mars and beyond.
2 people found this helpful
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Jmcenanly
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive guide, for now
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book details the history, and probable future of Lunar exploration and development. It is meant for the interested amateur, covering a moderately broad expanse of the subject.
2 people found this helpful
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Man of La Book
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019
Moon Rush: The New Space Race by Leonard David talks about the history of man getting to the moon and suggests a path forward to the satellite which we, for all intents and purposes, abandoned. Mr. David is a space & science journalist with a long and distinguished career behind him and the 2010 winner of the prestigious National Space Club Press Award.

I’ve read several books about the race to the moon and the moon landing, the subject fascinates me and I still get excited watch the 1969 video of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing the Eagle. While I’m not as knowledgeable as many other enthusiasts, I certainly do enjoy the subject and a big supporter of the space program in general.

Moon Rush: The New Space Race by Leonard David is a bit different than other books about the space program which I read (First Man and Magnificent Desolation among them, the latter signed by the man himself), as it makes a case to for the future of lunar exploration.

The book starts with a short section about the mythologies about the moon, from Greek to Egyptian and other cultures. Next is another brief chapter trying to encompass the enormous effort behind the space program which succeeded in landing men on the moon, and bringing them back safely to Earth. Another short section brings the reader through post moon landing history and up to where we stand today.

In the main part of the book, the author states that the race to the moon is back on, only that this time it is about commercial entrepreneurship. The Trump Administration has made it a goal to return to the lunar surface by the year 2024 and start on building a long-term presence there.

A government-private sector international alliance is building up to make this happen despite the many challenges which Mr. David brings up in a section which I found most fascinating (issues like lunar dust seems to be a major obstacle).

This fascinating book is easy to read and well organized. The author included fascinating pictures, charts, maps, and rendering of the moon, vehicles and other related subjects.
One person found this helpful
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Sheltonite
3.0 out of 5 stars The book was And OK read, but not as interesting as was Portrayed on NPR
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2019
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The book is interesting, but not what I expected. It repeats it self on the facts every so often, OK read. So I gave it three stars.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Naman Shah
1.0 out of 5 stars We have received the said title in Damaged Condition.
Reviewed in India on March 22, 2022
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We have received the said title in damaged Condition.
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paulo
3.0 out of 5 stars falta um pouco de ciência
Reviewed in Brazil on September 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
Achei o livro um pouco superficial por não tratar com mais detalhes da parte científica dos projetos lunares (
como faz Robert Zubrin).

Também não me agradou esse discurso de que os USA precisa retornar a Lua para manter seu “Poder Geopolítico”, ou seja, parece que autor se preocupa mais com o poder dos USA do que nos benefícios para a humanidade que adviriam do retorno a Lua.

O autor deixa transparecer seu apoio a Trump...
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James O'Hare
3.0 out of 5 stars Historical review/little in-depth material
Reviewed in Canada on June 10, 2019
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I thought the title of this book was a bit misleading. It covers the entire history of moon exploration. Recent projects, particularly the various private ventures, are discussed only towards the end. Because the scope is so broad there is space for only a superficial description of each mission. It also conveys little sense of the drama that accompanied the manned missions.

The work also includes some other material related to the moon, e.g. theories on its formation. I was a bit surprised to learn the the conventional impact theory has some problems and is not quite so widely accepted as I had thought.

This book is OK for a quick survey of lunar exploration. But anyone expecting an in-depth coverage of the topic will be disappointed.
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