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© 2009

The Seventh Landing

Going Back to the Moon, This Time to Stay

  • Authors

  • Features spectacular original artwork depicting the Moon from its widely published author-artist.

  • Each chapter moves from a general description of the latest plans and goals to the specific nuts-and-bolts of engineering and science, using the most up-to-date information from interviews and research.

  • Mission scenarios are presented in an engaging "You are there" format.

Book

Table of contents

  1. Front Matter
    Pages i-xii
    PDF
  2. The First Explorers: Learning from History
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 1-31
  3. Getting There the Second Time Around
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 32-61
  4. Shackleton, the Home Site
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 62-77
  5. Robot-Human Combo Systems
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 78-97
  6. Scientific Reasons to Return
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 98-119
  7. Going to Mars
    Michael Carroll
    Pages 120-147
  8. Back Matter
    Pages 1-25
    PDF

About this book

Introduction

Just forty years ago, in July of 1969, one of humankind’s greatest dreams was accomplished. Men flew safely to the Moon, landed and walked on its surface, and then returned home. There were six Moon landings by the Apollo team in that time period, but when the last one blasted off the surface of the Moon to return home, our dreams of establishing a permanent presence on the Moon were put on hold to deal with other priorities. For a while, those dreams seemed to be dead, and many looked back at the Apollo era with nostalgia, and a great sense of loss at its ending.

But today we are making big plans again, and this time, our plans include not only setting up a permanent settlement on the Moon but preparing the way for an eventual trip to Mars. Many countries, in fact, are contributing to this effort, some as part of an international venture with the United States spearheading the effort, some making plans to go on their own.

The "seventh landing" on the Moon will begin a new era in spacefaring. It will mark a renewed commitment to move forward in humankind’s endless quest to discover and settle new worlds in search of a better life for all of Earth’s inhabitants. It will bring dreams back alive and engender new hopes for a bright future. See how we are going to accomplish this quest in this stunning and beautifully written book by veteran space writer and artist Michael Carroll, which includes interviews with a dozen Apollo and shuttle astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts.

Keywords

Earth Moon ferry IAC Mars missions Moon outpost back to the moon beyond Apollo constellation architecture lunar art lunar exploration lunar science book moon return to the Moon

About the authors

Artist/writer Michael Carroll's 20 years as a science journalist have left him well-connected in the planetary science community. For The Seventh Landing project, he has contacts with Lockheed/Martin (contractor for the Orion spacecraft and Ares launch vehicles), Johnson Spaceflight Center, NASA/Ames (overseeing the Mars portion of the Constellation architecture) and other technicians and engineers involved in projects as diverse as the early Mercury and Gemini programs to the ISS. He is a Fellow of the International Association for the Astronomical Arts, and has written articles and books on topics ranging from space to archeology. His articles have appeared in Popular Science, Astronomy, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy Now (UK), and a host of children’s magazines. His latest book, Alien Volcanoes, is due out through Johns Hopkins University Press in fall of 2007.

Carroll has done commissioned artwork for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His art has appeared in several hundred magazines throughout the world, including National Geographic, Time, Smithsonian, Astronomy, and others. One of his paintings was flown aboard Russia’s MIR space station. Carroll is the 2006 recipient of the Lucien Rudaux Award for lifetime achievement in the Astronomical Arts.

Bibliographic information

Reviews

From the reviews:

"Science journalist Michael Carroll’s account of future human missions to the Moon looks at the hardware and exploration strategies that might one day make us long-term inhabitants of our nearest neighbour in space. The Seventh Landing is a great read for young people. … The book is full of great pictures, including artworks created by the author, who favours the use of paint. It’s a refreshing change from the all-too-perfect computer renditions that NASA tends to use these days." (Piers Bizony, Sky at Night Magazine, October, 2009)

"This is a superb look at how and why humans should return to the Moon. … The clever title of the book sets the stage for a well-written and insightful appraisal of sending humankind once again to Earth’s neighboring world … . words and artwork are super, with the text also drawing upon interviews with Apollo and shuttle astronauts, as well as Soviet cosmonauts. This is a very readable volume, perfect for the general reader and the rarified space cadet." (Leonard David, Space Coalition Blog, November, 2009)

“In this beautifully illustrated, large-format book, science writer/artist Carroll begins with a review of unmanned and manned explorations of the moon. … The author presents the details of Constellation including the designs of the Ares rockets, the Orion moon capsule, and the Altair lander. … Carroll outlines how some in the spaceflight community view the lunar missions as a distraction from the main goal of human missions to Mars. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels of general readers and undergraduate students interested in space exploration.” (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 47 (6), February, 2010)