Space Science Exploration

Long before space travel was possible, the idea of life beyond Earth transfixed humans. In this fascinating book, astronomer Jon Willis explores the science of astrobiology and the possibility of locating other life in our own galaxy. Describing the most recent discoveries by space exploration missions, including the Kepler space telescope, the Mars Curiosity rover, and the New Horizons probe, Willis asks listeners to imagine - and choose among-five scenarios for finding life.

A corporate aristocracy descended from Africa rules a colony on a distant planet. Life here is easy—for the rarified and privileged few. The aristocrats enjoy a powerful cybernetic technology that extends their life spans and ensures their prosperity. Those who serve them suffer under a heavy hand. But within this ruthless society are agents of hope and change. In a secret underwater laboratory, a separatist cult has created a threat to the aristocracy. The Primes are highly intelligent, manipulative products of genetic engineering, designed to lead a rebellion.

Commander Mariucci and his hand-picked research team know they will have to muster all of their expertise, creativity and teamwork to survive the very harshest of conditions in orbit around the king of planets. But when they intercept a peculiar radio transmission, they have to investigate. Nothing should work in these impossible conditions, so what is sending the signal...and why? With a degrading ship and crew at breaking point, there's every chance they will tear themselves apart before they ever find the answer to the ultimate question.

They banned him from space. But someone has offered him a way back. Can he afford the price? Famed engineer and test pilot Jericho Fox has been grounded for reasons he'd rather put behind him. But a political leader from a rival party offers to send him back to space. Fox finds himself stuck between working for the enemy and doing what he loves again. Meanwhile, high above Earth on Astraea Station, decorated astrophysicist Dr. Evelyn Park is on the verge of a scientific breakthrough that could make history.

When Robert Zubrin published his classic book The Case for Mars a quarter century ago, setting foot on the Red Planet seemed a fantasy. Today, manned exploration is certain, and as Zubrin affirms in The New World on Mars, so too is colonization.

I thought the hard part of helping the Helta defeat the rampaging Tevynians would be the fighting. How wrong I was. To the Helta, we Earthers look just like the Tevynians, their mortal enemies. And convincing their government to ally with humans may be even beyond the crew of the starship James Bowie. But the clock is ticking, because the Tevynian fleet is bearing down on the Helta homeworld. If we can’t talk the Helta into accepting our help to fight them off, then Helta Prime will fall.... And Earth will be next.

With the Surial gone, Colton Beck has a chance to rebuild the Rusa race. Colton embarks on a dangerous journey to find answers, bringing his closest allies along for the ride. Each objective is a step toward to repopulating Nulit, but the ultimate price might be higher than they’re willing to offer. Now that the truth about the Angor has been realized, the Unity Accord will never be the same. Colton is determined to ensure his peoples’ position over the fabled Ocean, even if it tears the Unity apart.

En la escuela, Pedro ha estado leyendo libros sobre el planeta Marte. Cuando llega a casa, imagina cómo sería vivir en el planeta rojo. ¿Podría escalar la superficie rocosa de Marte? ¿Sobreviviría sin helado? ¿Será que su gran imaginación lo lleve a quedarse en Marte o decidirá que prefiere vivir en el planeta Tierra?

It’s been six months since Fortuna colony was established on a moon in a distant solar system. The aliens who invited the colonists here have never shown themselves, but they’ve provided everything the human settlers need to thrive. However, after several people vanish without a trace, the colony leaders decide it’s time to leave. But before they do, the aliens provide a final delicious meal for their human guests.

Mars likes peace and quiet, and is not happy when unexpected visitors start showing up. But when they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn't all that great. Mars reaches out to his space friends—including his best bud, Earth—for comfort and help. Maybe Mars is a people planet after all!

Mr. Kazarian has a problem...his evil cousin, Kronkhold, is threatening to consume the galaxy with his new device, a black-hole generator. Mr. K's four favorite students are in the library researching Albert Einstein when they see Mr. K heading out on his mission to stop Kronkhold. What better way to learn about black holes and Einstein's theories than to ride along? Oh, and hopefully help save their home in the Milky Way.

Zak Nine and his friend Erro are on the run! While avoiding a band of patrolling prison guards, the boys meet another escapee who tells them the legend of an abandoned spacecraft. The boys believe that if they can find the ancient ship, they'll be able to fix it and blast off from the Planet Alcatraz. But first, they must cross the Igneous Quag an uncharted swamp full of flame-spitting snakes and hidden geysers of fatal fire!

Tanis Richards has spent half her life on the Intrepid, guiding the great colony ship, and its two million passengers, across hundreds of light-years. She has risked life, limb, and those dearest to her to get this far. Now she's within reach of her goal; the New Canaan System, and a normal, stable life. The kind she's only dreamed about. The only remaining hurdle is to strike a deal with the Transcend Alliance and trade the Intrepid's advanced technology for the star system. If only things were so easy.

This is a theoretical physicist's grand tour of how life emerged on Earth and, perhaps most importantly, how human civilization will begin expanding beyond our home planet. According to Dr. Adriana Marais, living on more than one planet is an inevitability of becoming a more advanced society, but the process of getting there will provide us with the essential tools for better stewardship of our own. Humanity has always looked up at the night sky and wondered what lies beyond our world.

Seis días atrás el astronauta Mark Watney se convirtió en uno de los primeros hombres en caminar por la superficie de Marte. Ahora está seguro de que será el primer hombre en morir allí. La tripulación de la nave en que viajaba se ve obligada a evacuar el planeta a causa de una tormenta de polvo, dejando atrás a Mark tras darlo por muerto. Pero él está vivo, y atrapado a millones de kilómetros de cualquier ser humano, sin posibilidad de enviar señales a la Tierra.

Aiah has fought her way out of poverty and discovers a limitless source of plasm, the mysterious substance that powers the world-city. Her discovery soon involves her with Constantine, the charismatic, dangerous, seductive revolutionary who plans to overthrow the government and upend the cosmic order.

Les membres de la première expédition vers Mars périrent tous. Sauf un : Valentin Michaël Smith, né sur Mars, élevé par les Martiens, recueilli et ramené sur Terre, à vingt ans, par la deuxième expédition au 21ième siècle. Physiquement, Valentin Michaël Smith était humain. Mentalement, il était martien. La seule analogie qui convienne pour le définir est celle des enfants-loups, des enfants élevés par des loups. Mais les Martiens n'étaient pas des loups. Leur culture était plus riche que celle des Terriens. Le premier problème de Mike ?

Liza Pound is feeling the bullseye on her back. But does she really know how big it actually is? The foxes have put a serious bounty on her head. And they want it, literally, in someone's freezer. Even a routine League mission now can set off a chain of events. And once begun, the Killer Bunny will have to become something more. Now she's Nemesis Rising.

It is 2076: Lancer, Earth’s first starship, is on a mission to find interstellar civilizations. Although astronaut Nigel Walmsley’s experiences with alien encounters make him the expert, no one believes Nigel’s theory that machines are the dominant intelligent beings left in the galaxy and that their purpose is to annihilate all organic life. Then the explorers discover once-living planets where only machines remain – and ruined worlds where fugitive survivors must evade omnipresent and lethally advanced A.I. warships.

Nearly two decades prior, generation ship Kap’s Needle left Earth to start a new colony on what was believed to be a life-sustaining planet. The mission came with promises of generational wealth, fame, and glory for all ninety thousand passengers aboard. But after arriving on what was to be their new home, those promises quickly evaporated. The mission had become a spectacular failure and the crew a maligned disgrace.