The Traveler's Guide to Space: For One-Way Settlers and Round-Trip Tourists

by Neil F. Comins

If you have ever wondered about space travel, now you have the opportunity to understand it more fully than ever before. Traveling into space and even emigrating to nearby worlds may soon become part of the human experience. Scientists, engineers, and investors are working hard to make space tourism and colonization a reality. As astronauts can attest, extraterrestrial travel is incomparably thrilling. To make the most of the experience requires serious physical and mental adaptations in virtually every aspect of life, from eating to intimacy. Everyone who goes into space sees Earth and life on it from a profoundly different perspective than they had before liftoff.

Astronomer and former NASA/ASEE scientist Neil F. Comins has written the go-to book for anyone interested in space exploration. He describes the wonders that travelers will encounter―weightlessness, unparalleled views of Earth and the cosmos, and the opportunity to walk on another world―as well as the radiation, projectiles, unbreathable atmospheres, and potential equipment failures. He also provides insights into specific trips to destinations including suborbital flights, space stations, the Moon, asteroids, comets, and Mars―the top candidate for colonization. Although many challenges are technical, Comins outlines them in clear language for all readers. He synthesizes key issues and cutting-edge research in astronomy, physics, biology, psychology, and sociology to create a complete manual for the ultimate voyage.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

296 pages, Hardcover

Published February 21, 2017

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Neil F. Comins, and the publisher, Columbia University Press, for this opportunity.

This is a detailed look at what is required for those wishing to venture into space. The book delves into particulars concerning the vetting programme required before an individual is deemed applicable for space travel, the struggles to be faced whilst travelling, and what duties and roles will be expected from them.

Whilst this is inclusive of any detail you could wish to know on the topic, it is written in quite a dry, academic format that makes this a very good reference book but a little bit of a dull read for those with a passing interest. Any book on the topic of space travel interests me, but I found my attention wandering somewhat, whilst reading this. That is not to say that the information is not of interest, but the style of narrative is a little more formal than I had anticipated. I had also expected the focus to be more on space itself rather than focusing on the possible emotions and problems the individual could encounter.

The topics covered tend to dwell on the negative. Rather than the wonders to be discovered, this mainly focuses on the dangers. On one hand, this was interesting, as I have not yet read a book on this topic that covers these areas so absolutely. However, the problems of group dynamics and limited space etc. could belong to any social group or shared work space and was not wholly just a problem to be experienced off our planet.

This would make a brilliant reference book for those studying in this area, but might be of little actual enjoyment or use for those with an amateur interest.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turning dreams into nightmares...

The ultimate adventure of space tourism is likely to become a reality within the next few decades, at least for the very, very rich. It's not something I ever actually anticipate doing now – too old, too poor – but a girl can still dream! And I've dreamed of going into space all my life, having grown up during the great space race era of the '60s and early '70s. One of my most wonderful memories is of crowding round a small TV in a boarding house (we were on holiday at the time) watching the grainy pictures of the first moon landing. I anticipated that, by the time I was an adult, we'd be visiting the moon as easily as popping over to Europe.

In this book, Neil Comins sets out to describe the realities of what a space tourist might expect. He starts off with a clear, simple description of the objects in the solar system that we may one day soon be able to visit, from sub-orbital flights, to the International Space Station or commercial equivalents, to the Moon, comets, the moons of Mars, and possibly Mars itself! Inspiring, huh?

Well, no, unfortunately. Comins clearly is one of those travellers (I'll revert to the correct British spelling of the word now) who is so busy thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong, he forgets to stop and look at the view. From sick-bags to radiation poisoning, no potential pitfall is left unexamined. It all starts OK, with him giving a realistic idea of the training a traveller would be expected to undergo, what they would wear, eat, etc. But then he starts a catalogue of woe. Where it might be sufficient to say that people on long flights would have to contend against boredom, Comins goes on to talk about the features and symptoms of boredom at great length (somewhat ironically, I felt). While it might be useful to point out that group dynamics have to be carefully controlled, he chunters on about all the various personality clashes that might make life intolerable. When talking about the type of food that will be available, he doesn't neglect to point out the dangers of flatulence. From speeding particles piercing the optic nerve to the symptoms of PTSD, no misery is left unexplored.

He picks it up towards the end by talking about space photography and the joys of sex in microgravity, but sadly by that time I was exhibiting all the symptoms of anxiety, depression and boredom, so was incapable of anything other than a desire to get back to terra firma. So when he went on to explain that the effects of microgravity might make sex quite problematic for both men and women, I barely had enough strength left to be disappointed. I'm afraid I skim-read the last third or so.

Given my undying love for Star Trek and my belief that life on Mars has to be better than life on Earth, it amazed me that Comins could actually make a wet weekend in Bognor sound exciting in comparison to space travel. Though I'm sure if he wrote a book about Bognor, he'd warn of flu germs, the drying effects of the salt in seawater, and lethal crabs lurking in the sand to nip unwary toes.

More seriously, the book is extraordinarily dull, with lengthy bullet point lists of symptoms of everything from anxiety to bipolar disorder, and even of things you should try to see from space, starting with

the Earth
the Moon
the Sun...

Gosh, that's helpful! I'd never have thought of looking out for any of those things! He has taught me one invaluable thing should I ever be lucky enough to go into space – to check the passenger list to make sure Comins isn't going on the same trip. I fear those group dynamics may well task the most conciliatory captain. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going out to gaze at the stars and resume my dreaming...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Columbia University Press.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, as a prolific armchair traveler and a fan of astronomy this seemed like a perfect reading choice. An ultimate destination, space. The final frontier and all that. A place it appears requires a certain degree of masochism to want to visit and yet, so many boldly go...Comins is a man of details, in exhaustive meticulous detail he chronicles what the intrepid travelers should expect, this is indeed very much a travel guide, even if it isn't much of a book. That is to say it reads like a crossbreed of a travel guide and a textbook, with an occasional glimpse of personality here and there, there was an instance of a joke that seemed so surprising it required a double take. Neither patronizing nor pedantic are the right words for the book's tone precisely, maybe paternalistic...one of those, something like that, something along the lines of being lectured by someone who is smarter than you, is aware if the fact and isn't shy about making you aware of the fact. Maybe I'm just describing a textbook. At any rate, I didn't mind that personally. The main is obviously smarter than me and frankly it's one of the qualities I'm looking for in my reading, especially nonfiction. Teach me and educate me, to the moon and back. Boy, this review is just a pun magnet. So not the juiciest of reading materials, but then again you get to learn in great detail about things like space sex (the many mile high club), space bowel movements, playing sports in reduced gravity and so on. There is also a very enlightening chapter on Mars settling. There is also plenty of science, physics and astronomy, it really is very educational. With a good amount of photos, some of which were omitted in my preview copy from Netgalley, fact along with terrible formatting that served as something of a detractor. But then again all learning has its challenges. Thanks Netgalley.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheerfully Takes On An Impossible Challenge

This book tries to be both a breezy travel guide in the general style of a Frommer's or Fodor's type guide and yet also undertakes to present some reasonably serious scientific and factual background pertaining to space travel. The result, as you can imagine, is a bit of a hodge-podge. The good news is that there is much of interest here for a flexible and patient reader.

So, on the one hand we get silliness about what tours might be arranged from your Mars hotel. On the other hand we get pages and pages of detailed descriptions of the different types of asteroids and comets that venture near enough to Earth to serve as travel destinations. Happily, between these two extremes there is a very great deal that will be of interest to the general reader.

We start with a discussion of travel routes to various solar destinations and the types of spacecraft that might serve as transport. How a course to a solar object is actually plotted was something I knew little about. The same was true about matters like radiation shielding, management of acceleration for the safety of human passengers, calculation of trip durations and the like.

We spend a good deal of time on the health and safety of space travel, including the effects of microgravity, low air pressure, interrupted sleep patterns and the like. The wide prevalence of emotional problems, (depression, impulsiveness, hostility, and so on), was something I'd never considered. (Lots of this work draws on what was learned about the sailors in the nuclear submarine force.) I'd never closely considered the physical, psychological and sociological adjustments that would effect a traveler, (but just consider the effect of noise, vibration, poor sleep and someone always being within six feet of you, for six months.) This general topic is where the book shines.

Through all of this we bob between parts that are too light and casual and parts that are too technical, but the author never goes overboard either way, and actually does a remarkably good job of pretty much steering his narrative course between these two extremes.

The final third of the book addresses what we might find, mostly on the Moon and on Mars. Lots of planetary geology here, which I really like. The emphasis is on surface features, (because that's what a tourist would visit), and this was another highlight of the book, even if you disregard the whole travel angle. We end with a bit on colonization and then some reflections on readjusting after returning to Earth, and the author offered some unexpected and interesting thoughts about the effect of space travel on a person's general state of mind.

So, the author's style is a pleasing compromise between popular narrative and a more rigorous presentation, and despite a few false steps here and then I felt I was in the hands of a genial, experienced and competent tour guide. Given the challenge of what was attempted here, that's not bad.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the awesome Spaceman by Mike Massimino, I was in the mood for something a little more academic. The Traveler's Guide to Space For One-Way Settlers and Round-Trip Tourists by Neil F. Comins is a well-organized and concise manual that prepares you for every step involved in space travel. Comins is an astrophysicist, astronomer, and professor of physics and astronomy. His passion and expertise are clearly evident in the writing. There's virtually no math and the scientific concepts are clearly explained. Any concept that's difficult for a layman to visualize is accompanied by diagrams and photographs. It had the potential to read like a condensed textbook, but it actually has a really fun tone. It's written as if it's actually preparing you to become a space tourist. While most of us won't be staying in a Moon hotel anytime soon, there are many things to consider when the time comes!

The Table of Contents:
Part I: Preparing for Space
1. Science and the Solar System Over Easy
2. Brief Descriptions of Journeys Through Space
3. Preparing for Your Trip
4. Training for Space Travel
Part II: Adjusting to Space
5. Launch
6. Adjustments During the First Few Days
7. Long-Term Physical Adjustments to Space
8. Getting Along in Space: Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Space Travel
Part III: Making the Most of Experiences in Space
9. Experiences by Destination
Part IV: Home! Sweet? Home?
10. Emigrating to Mars or Returning to Earth

If you were asked to choose one word that summarizes the history of the solar system, it should be “collisions.” From the moment the solar system began coalescing out of a small piece of an interstellar cloud of gas and dust, innumerable collisions have occurred. Atoms, molecules, and then pieces of dust in that cloud started running into and adhering to each other. Bigger and bigger bodies collided. Those objects moving fast enough shattered each other, while slower collisions caused bodies to stick together. Over a hundred million years or so, the cloud of gas and dust coalesced into a few large bodies, creating the Sun, planets, moons, and larger asteroids.

I really liked the sections on the human factors of space travel. The anecdotes were interesting and made it clear how stressful living with so many different people in cramped quarters with no escape can be, like when cultural differences caused conflict on the Mir space station. The "Science and Science Fiction" asides explain how different popular scenes from science fiction would be in the real world. I learned so many interesting facts throughout the book! Why did Isaac Newton include indigo as one of the colors representing the visible light spectrum? (I always found its inclusion questionable and now I have proof!) Why is crumb control so important in space? Why do most plans for Mars involved long-term habitation? What's it take to join the "250-mile-high-club"? Why don't stars twinkle in outer space? How can you make sure you see as much of planet Earth as possible? Why do heterogeneous groups of people work together better than homogenous groups? There are also helpful suggestions to make the most of your experience in outer space; there are so many simple tasks that I wouldn't have thought to try. The sections about geologic features were the least interesting to me, but I loved the photographs. My favorite surface feature was the brain terrain on Mars!



This book has added a new richness to my fiction reading. One of my favorite books this year was Good Morning, Midnight, which features characters in the extreme environments of both deep space and Antarctica. Now I have a greater understanding of the psychological turmoil those characters went through, especially Augie in Antarctica. Most of all, I have a greater appreciation for how perfect planet Earth is! There are so many adjustments that have to be made and comforts that have to be given up in outer space. Going to space sounds like an amazing experience, but I wouldn't want to live there!

What a spectacular feeling it is to see an entire world through the ship’s windows from deep space, especially when that world is the Earth. By all reports, it is a feeling you can only get by being there. It isn’t just the view... it’s knowing that there, below, is home. Your home, your family’s home, the origin of all life as we know it. Life began on that blue, brown, and white ball you saw in the window, teeming with the most complex, beautiful, unique, and meaningful things in the known universe.

Thinking about the Earth as a single entity as you viewed it in space might bring you to question how it is that people on the surface have such narrow perspectives about our planet, life, and everything. You may wonder why we can’t manage to live together without causing damage and creating bad feelings toward each other. At er all, we are humans; all members of the same species; all living on the same world. And you will know from your time in space how fragile and unique is that world, the Earth. there is nothing else like it in our corner of the universe.

Some parts might be dry reading to anyone who isn't already interested in scientific topics, but it's a great guide for people who are interested in learning the-ins-and-outs of space travel. The down-to-earth approach would make it an engaging complement to an entry-level college course. Comins has written several other books that I'm interested in reading: What If the Earth Had Two Moons?: And Nine Other Thought-Provoking Speculations on the Solar System, The Hazards of Space Travel: A Tourist's Guide, and What If the Moon Didn't Exist: Voyages to Earths That Might Have Been. Armed with new knowledge, I look forward to reading and watching more fiction set in space!

I received this book for free from NetGalley and Columbia University Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Its publication date is February 21, 2017.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Traveler’s Guide to Space, by Neil F. Comins, is much more than a travel guide. This book is packed with scientific facts and other interesting phenomenon about space travel. For the reader who is willing to wade through the fluff to get to the facts, it is very interesting and entertaining. In some instances, I thought I was reading a salesman’s pitch for why I need to book a space vacation.

The book opens with an overview of space and the science pertaining to space and travel in space. From that point, the reader is lead on the journey of what to expect when you become a space traveler. The good and the bad about space travel is revealed in great detail, from the types of training required for the various possible space destinations, to the adjustments of living in space through to returning back to Earth. The last section of the book deals mainly with being a space tourist at a destination outside of Earth’s atmosphere with the main focus being on our Moon, the moons of Mars and Mars. The book concludes with a small section about of emigrating to Mars and/or returning to Earth.

The book abounds with details about every aspect of space travel. In fact, the detail was so good I can only give a very general overview. It is obvious that Mr. Comins is well-informed on the subject. The relatively unknown facts is what I found to be the most interesting thing about the book. For example, I did not know that oral hygiene in space was of a particular concern because the rate of bacteria growth is much greater than on Earth. Gross, but true.

This is a great book for any science buff, travel enthusiast, or reader, like myself, who loves to discover quirky facts. There is some amount of unnecessary fluff (I did not need to be told numerous times to be sure to collect rock specimens) but not so much that it turned me off. This is most definitely a book I could reread to cement my knowledge of space travel and get all those quirky facts into my long term memory.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Columbia University Press, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to expect on your tour beyond the Karman line (about a hundred kilometers above the surface of the Earth) and, more importantly, how it will affect you physiologically and psychologically. It’s reasonable to expect you will feel awed by the sight of the planet as a whole. And it’s almost guaranteed that you will need your motion discomfort bag. They don’t call the training planes where astronauts learn about the effects of free fall and microgravity “Vomit Comets” for nothing. When the inner ear can no longer tell which way is down the most common symptom is nausea. Other common symptoms of “Space Adaptation Syndrome or space sickness are … headaches, disorientation, sweating and loss of appetite” Until your heart adapts it will pump an excess blood to your upper body and your face will swell. On a suborbital flight you will only experience these discomforts for the few minutes, but if you continue on into orbit these symptoms generally subside within three days.

Comins also gives a description of the sights to see beyond Earth, on the Moon, comets, asteroids, and on Mars and its moons as well as a basic introduction to the physics of space and space flight. The book is clearly written and scientifically sound.

[La lepisma libraia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono solo sette i ricconi che ad oggi han potuto godere del privilegio di una vacanzina suborbitale dietro pagamento di cifre non esattamente abbordabili, perciò l’idea di una guida di massa per aspiranti turisti spaziali suona un po’ prematura. Ma è per questo che esiste il condizionale. Se fosse possibile trascorrere le ferie su Marte, quali sarebbero le attrazioni da visitare, quali le trappole da evitare? Le mete spaziali sono parecchio lontane: quali sono le regole per una pacifica convivenza insieme ai compagni di astronave?

Sognare e congetturare, in fondo, sono attività alla portata di tutti i portafogli. E Destinazione spazio soddisfa, nell’arco di duecento pagine, tutta la nostra curiosità di vagabondi...

Recensione completa QUI

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are planning on making that long-awaited trip to the Moon, or Mars, or perhaps a comet or an asteroid, then this is the perfect book to help you with your preparations! It covers in detail how to prepare for the journey, and what to expect before and while travelling, when you get to your destination, and when (or if) you return home. There are also photos and drawings, mostly from NASA, to explain various details. In 1969, when the first Moon landings happened, they would probably have expected the Moon and possible even Mars to be colonised by now. Sadly that hasn't happened, but this book goes a long way to explaining all the problems, logistics, and vast costs that would be associated with such an enterprise. A fascinating, comprehensive and clearly written book.

[Nancy Ogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comins makes you feel like you'e actually planning to travel into outer space. The whole experience became so immediate that, while reading, I was getting spontaneous visions of the Earth from various distances. It's funny, too. Altogether a very different kind of book, and very satisfying.

[Suncerae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travel and tourism is a huge industry, with no shortage of travel books for all types of destinations available. But even the seasoned wanderluster has yet to encounter a travel book for space. Space tourism will not be a reality for the masses for many years yet (only 7 paying tourists have been able to afford it so far), but you can still dream. In fact, planning for the myriad of physical and mental difficulties is essential, from weightlessness to claustrophobia to loss of bone density, and if you feel a thrill of excitement at the thought of seeing the Earth from a profoundly different perspective, The Traveler’s Guide to Space will indulge you a trip, if only vicariously.

Astronomer Neil F. Comins provides an overview of space exploration in an easy and approachable format that mirrors typical guides from The Lonely Planet or Frommer’s, including insights about specific destinations and activities, space sickness, tips for souvenirs, and a frame of reference. But whereas most travel books include blurbs on history, politics, and culture, Comins presents some scientific background on radiation, planetary orbits, and the necessary business of maintaining human life in an inhospitable environment.

Imagine the possibilities! From quick suborbital flights, to space stations, asteroids, comets, the Moon, and even Mars, there is so much to see and do! And on the way to your final destination, learn how to stave off boredom (and depression, homesickness, impulsiveness, and anger towards with fellow passengers because they are encroaching on your telephone booth-sized area of personal space) with classes, sports, photography, eating, drinking, using the toilet, and sex, all of which you will need to relearn while in microgravity.

Recommended for space fans with active imaginations!

Also, here are some lovely science tidbits to whet your appetite for space—

-Contrary to many scifi movies, an explosion in space would be very quiet.
-Outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, stars do not twinkle.
-You will get very dirty on the Moon; the dust is electrically charged and sticks to everything.
-On Mars, sunrises and sunsets are blue, and the daytime sky is orange-yellow.

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[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.

I received a free copy of The Traveler's Guide To Space in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was way more science than what I expected it to be, in a good way. It made me realise that going to space is a big deal (unlike it is in my favourite science fiction movies). Things that I never expect to happen like loss of apatite, depression, lack of privacy and PTSD to name a few can (and do) happen to astronauts.

The Traveler’s Guide To Space also made me realise how unlikely it is that I personally will able to go to planets further than Mars, especially if i want a return trip. Although Mars does sound a lot more interesting than it seems. In The Traveler’s Guide To Space, it explained the potential sights on Mars that you could go to see, as well as potential habitats and how they would exist with the very thin atmosphere that Mars has.

If you are interested in the possibility of commercial space-flight or how realistic all the science fiction movies are, The Traveler’s Guide To Space will not disappoint.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Comins is an astrophysicist, astronomer, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Maine. He wrote a fascinating well-researched technical review of life in space. It covers all aspects of space travel that would interest a novice tourist and research scientist. Comins breaks the book into four sections, preparing for space, adjusting to space, making most of the experiences in space, and home sweet home. Numerous photographs, figures, and science and science fiction factoids support the hypothesis under discussion. The book includes an appendix on the power of ten, notes, bibliography, and index. Anyone considering a trip into space or would like to travel there vicariously, should read this book.

[Lauren James]

A very nice all-round guide to Physics, explained through the lens of space travel. A lot more technical that the title suggests - but all the more interesting for it.