It's over 50 years since rockets first went into space, but the national space programs haven't brought the future in space which many people hoped for. But there is an alternative. In
How to Build Your Own Spaceship:The Science of Personal Space Travel Piers Bizony looks at new options for space travel and at how you can play a part in making them happen.
Bizony starts by expaining the difficulties of getting into space, and how the multi-stage rocket has been developed to deal with them. He also looks at the different types of fuels which might be used in your spaceship. He goes on to describe novel approaches to space travel, such as single-stage-to-orbit and vertical-take-off-and-landing craft. The book continues with the question of how to finance your ideas - will you work with the existing space agencies, or develop some new business model? The later chapters of the book look at living in space, including what the physical and mental problems might be, and at the possibilities of trips to the moon and to Mars.
If you're really intending to get into the space business then you'll probably find this book much to lightweight. Bizony doesn't go very deeply into any of the issues involved, and the book has no index. However, if you're looking for and enjoyable read, and if you're interested in what might happen in the business of space travel over the next few years, then you should give this book a try.
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