The Moon - Challenge and Benefits of Settlement tells the story of the feasible transformation of the Moon into an inhabited sister planet of the Earth in the coming century. This latest edition draws on the latest satellite data to emphasize the power potential and communications advantages of Malapert Mountain in the South Polar region of the Moon, being the optimum location for the establishment of the first lunar base. A colour section depicting graphic images is added in the 2nd edition and the number of appendices are reduced. The book presents a realistic vision of human development and settlement of the Moon over the next one hundred years, and the author explains how global living standards for the Earth can be enhanced through the use of lunar-based generated solar power. From that beginning, the people of the Earth would evolve into a spacefaring civilisation.
From the reviews of the second edition:
"This is basically a handbook describing what must be done to return to the moon, build permanent bases, and use them as a springboard for economic development such as mining, as well as to push further into the solar system and beyond. ? This book ? would be a valuable addition to the shelves of technical libraries, particularly those associated with schools of aeronautics, space exploration, or engineering. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." (C. G. Wood, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (7), 2008)
"The Moon is a broad-scoped treatment of future lunar development, with a lot of technical information in an easy-to-read style. ? this book is an interesting read for all different types of Earth-bound lunar enthusiasts. The book ? briefly covering the formation, characteristics, and historical explorations of the Moon starting with Apollo. ? The book has well-described ideas and illustrations for lunar development concepts. The scope includes discussion of robotics technology and its near-term application to lunar operations." (Gordon Woodcock, National Space Society, September, 2009)
