Part I of this review can be found here.
After a polemic opening, the book gets on to two parts which cover scientific topics. There is some interesting stuff here for people new to the field, and lots of historical anecdote, but ultimately the book is still trying to make an argument against space settlement - in the near term, anyway.
Keeping Astronauts Alive
The book contains lurid descriptions of how exposure to space can kill, and of the trials of early spaceflight. None of this is contentious nor is any of it hugely relevant. The first thing they discuss which does apply to long term settlement is space radiation. They represent the current uncertainty around this but miss a few points.
Regarding the secondary radiation produced by shielding (spallation) they state “if your radiation shield is super thick and is made from aluminum, you can end up being exposed to even more radiation than y…
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