Science Review and General Interest Books
Textbooks
(in reverse chronological order by publication date)
- Title: Planel, Hubert. Space and Life: An Introduction to Space Biology and Medicine. CRC Press, Toulouse, 2004.
Level: Introductory
Availability: In Print
Summary: Space and Life contains extensive information on physiology with overviews on the history of space exploration, gravity, space cell biology, plants, cosmic radiation, and extraterrestrial life. Published in 1988, this 2004 release is a new translation of L'Espace et la Vie, from the original French.
- Title: Legner, Klaus. Humans in Space and Space Biology. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Vienna, 2003.
Level: Introductory
Availability: Online here as a stand-alone document, or from the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs as a larger publication.
Summary: Humans in Space and Space Biology was developed for the United Nations as an introductory course for use at universities and the UN's Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education. Addressing all the major topic areas in space biology from basic biology to human health and countermeasures, this publication provides a good undergraduate entry point to the field.
- Title: Clement, Gilles. Fundamentals of Space Medicine. Space Technology Library, 2003.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print
Summary: Fundamentals of Space Medicine presents the collected findings from life science experiments conducted during and after space missions. Includes sections on the history of space life sciences research, physiology, space cell biology, and discussion of psycho-sociological issues of long-term space flight. CD-ROM with PowerPoint presentations of the text with color photographs, animations, and video clips included.
- Title: Dehart, R., and Davis, J., eds. Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2002.
Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: In print
Summary: Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine is a comprehensive textbook addressing the medical and public health issues involving those who operate in air and space, including care of crews, passengers, and support personnel of aircraft and space vehicles. Topics include the physiology of the human body under flight conditions, clinical medicine as practiced in the aerospace community, and the impact of the industry on community health.
- Title: Bennet, J., Shostak, S., and Jakosky, B. Life in the Universe. First edition, Addison-Wesley Publishing, Boston, 2002.
Level: Intermediate. No prior coursework necessary.
Availability: In print. Can be ordered online through the SETI Institute.
Summary: Well-written, engaging, and accessible to non-science majors, Life in the Universe offers a comprehensive introduction to scientific fields, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and cosmology. The chapters cover topics ranging from the science of life in the universe to the origins and evolution of life on Earth, from interstellar travel to the implications of searching and discovering life in the universe. There is a comprehensive companion site for the text, featuring resources, including links, videos, and tutorials for each chapter.
Companion Site: http://wps.aw.com/bc_bennett_liu_1/0,4838,267871-,00.html
Title: International Space University, Houston, A. and Rycroft, M., eds. Keys to Space. McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1999.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Can be ordered online directly from the publisher.
Summary: This textbook gives an interdisciplinary overview of the space sciences. Only one chapter covers space life sciences, but the other sections give a overview of other disciplines such as space physical sciences, earth observation, and telecommunications.
Title: Churchill, Susanne E., ed. Fundamentals of Space Life Sciences. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, 1997.
Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Prior coursework in biology necessary.
Availability: In print.
Summary: This book is for readers with some background in physiology and cell biology. Each chapter is written by an expert in that field of space biology and presents an overview of the main questions being studied and the major focuses of microgravity research in the disciplines. Chapters are more like review papers than traditional textbook chapters; no review questions or classroom activities are included.
Title: Damon, Thomas D. Introduction to Space: The Science of Spaceflight. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, 1995.
Level: Intermediate. No prior coursework necessary.
Availability: In print.
Summary: This textbook, written for a community college Space Sciences Course, provides a broad overview of the space environment and the progress humans have made in space exploration. The book does not discuss biology from a physiological perspective, but it does provide information on living and working in space, as well as some coverage of life in the universe.
Title: Nicogossian, A.E., C.L. Huntoon, and S.L. Pool, eds. Space Physiology and Medicine. Third edition, Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1994.
Level: Intermediate. Some prior coursework in biology recommended.
Availability: Out of print.
Summary: This textbook would be appropriate for students with some prior coursework in biology. It focuses almost exclusively on human physiology, with an emphasis on the medical problems encountered in microgravity and research into countermeasures. Coverage is given less to specific research than to overall lessons learned.
Title: Lujan, B.F and R.J. White. Human Physiology in Space: A Curriculum Supplement for Secondary Schools, 1990.
Level: Introductory (high school). Covers basic physiology concepts, does not assume prior coursework in the subject.
Availability: Online at http://www.nsbri.org/HumanPhysSpace/index.html.
Summary: Human Physiology in Space was designed as a high school textbook that incorporates space biology to teach students about basic human physiology. It includes discussion of physiological systems on Earth and in space and the changes that occur during exposure to microgravity. Each chapter includes experiments for students to perform in class to familiarize themselves with the physiological system under focus, a detailed review of a space flight experiment in that discipline, discussion and review questions, and suggestions for student presentations.
Title: Asashima, M. and G.M. Malacinski. Fundamentals of Space Biology. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo and Springer-Verlag, 1990.
Level: Intermediate. Some prior coursework in biology recommended.
Availability: In print.
Summary: This textbook features chapters broken up into clear, short sections, including history, theory, and research. Since no background in human or plant physiology is given in this book, some prior coursework in biology is necessary for full comprehension. Each chapter includes a summary and a short list of references.
Science Review and General Interest Books
(in reverse chronological order)
- Title: Sonnenfeld, Gerald., ed. Experimentation with Animal Models in Space, Advances in Space Biology and Medicine, Vol. 10. Elsevier Science, 2005.
Level: Advanced
Availability: In print.
Summary: Volume 10 of the Advances in Space Biology and Medicine series covers the latest developments in the use of animal models to study the effects of the space flight environment on physiological systems. Each chapter is devoted to a particular animal model or physiological system.
- Title: Logsdon, John M., ed. Exploring the Unknown, Volume VI: Space and Earth Science. NASA History Division, Washington, DC, 2004.
Level: Advanced
Availability: In print.
Summary: Exploring the Unknown is the NASA History Division's series of selected documents in the history of the U.S. Civil Space Program. Chapter 3 of this volume includes over 130 pages of documents related to NASA's life sciences program and a brief history of Life Sciences in Space by a former head of the agency's Life Sciences Division.
- Title: National Research Council. Science in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2005.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also available online here.
Summary: Science in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration is a response to President Bush's instructions to implement "a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond." The report details a roadmap of 13 top-level agency objectives, outlining a direction for the future of space exploration.
- Title: Task Group on Research on the International Space Station. Factors Affecting the Utilization of the International Space Station for Research in the Biological and Physical Sciences. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2003.
Level: Advanced
Availability: In print. Also available online here or as a PDF here.
Summary: This report from a Space Studies Board task group addresses concerns that reductions in the International Space Station budget will jeopardize the project's primary purpose: world-class science, including biology.
- Title: Ackmann, M. The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight. Random House, New York, 2003.
Level: Beginning
Availability: In print.
Summary: This book chronicles the early struggles to put women into space beginning in 1960. The Mercury 13, a group of 13 experienced female aviators, hoped to be the first female astronauts in space. They passed the same rigorous tests given to the Mercury 7 astronauts, then were dismissed by NASA before they were given the chance to fly in space. The Mercury 13 tells the story of the lives of these women, their achievements, the psychological and physical tests they underwent, and the political fights over the issue of women in space.
Level: Beginning
Availability: In print.
Summary: This book describes the experiments and some of the unique hardware carried by the Neurolab Spacelab mission, which was dedicated to studying the effects of gravity on the brain and nervous system. The book is suitable for a general scientific audience and for specialists. Each section contains a general introduction to the topic as well as scientific reports of relevant Neurolab experiments, similar to what is found in scientific journals.
Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: In print. Also available here as a PDF
Summary: Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine is a comprehensive textbook addressing the medical and public health issues involving those who operate in air and space, including care of crews, passengers, and support personnel of aircraft and space vehicles. Topics include the physiology of the human body under flight conditions, clinical medicine as practiced in the aerospace community, and the impact of the industry on community health.
Title: Ferris, T. Life Beyond Earth. Simon and Schuster, New York, 2001.Level: Beginning
Availability: In print.
Summary: The text of this book is geared to a popular audience,
addressing a number of topics at a general level. The attraction for
educators will be the numerous excellent, well-captioned images found
throughout the volume.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print.
Also available online here.
Summary: This report examines existing space medicine research and data, setting forth an agenda for future research into space exploration and astronaut health care. Hazards to all aspects of astronaut health - physical and mental - are discussed. The report makes it clear why not enough is known today about the dangers of prolonged travel to safely allow humans to venture into deep space.
Title: Harrison, A. Spacefaring: The Human Dimension. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2001.Level: Beginning
Availability: In print.
Summary: Spacefaring offers an introduction to the general subject of human space flight. Chapters cover a broad range of topics, including life support, crew selection and training, group dynamics, working in space, and space tourism. Harrison makes use of current and historical research without discussing specific studies in detail.
Level: Beginning
Availability: Out of print.
Summary: Living in Space is a general interest book that gives a detailed history of space exploration, from the first imaginings of space enthusiasts in the 1800s, to projections of what future colonies in space might look like. Separate chapters cover Skylab, the Salyut stations, Mir, and ISS, with an emphasis on the political climate and the technological innovations that made these stations possible. The book is filled with numerous pictures and illustrations, some of them published for the first time.
Level: Beginning
Availability: In print.
Also available online at here.
Summary: Focused on three basic areas - motion, matter, and energy - this book provides easy-to-follow explanations of the principles of astronomy and astrophysics. One Universe explores topics related to the space environment and asks questions about the origins of life and of our universe.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print.
Summary:The major scientific accomplishments of the Shuttle-Mir program and the experiences of the astronauts who lived onboard the Mir space station are described in Challenges of Human Space Exploration. The book profiles many of the advances in health and medicine that benefit Earth, the adversity that the women and men on the space station overcame, and the lessons learned.
Title: Committee on Space Biology and Medicine, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications. Review of NASA's Biomedical Research Program. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2000.Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also available online here.
Summary: A companion volume to book Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine in the New Century, this review assesses NASA's current program in biomedical research.
Title: Souza, K., G. Etheridge, and P.X. Callahan, eds. Life
into Space:
Space Life Sciences Experiments at Ames Research Center and
Kennedy Space
Center 1991-1998. NASA SP-2000-534, Washington, DC, 2000.Level: Beginning-Advanced
Availability: Out of print. Available online here and on CD-ROM.
Summary: This reference book provides a complete catalogue of
space life sciences experiments sponsored by Ames Research Center and
Kennedy Space Center between 1991 and 1998. The main body of the book contains
overviews of the programs and payloads flown during those years and
contains background material on space biology appropriate for less
advanced students. Extensive appendices provide detailed descriptions of the
experiments, publications, and hardware related to the payloads, and require
some background in biology for full comprehension.
Title: Bonting, S.L., ed. Advances in Space Biology and Medicine, Volume 7. JAI Press Inc., Stamford, Connecticut, 1999.Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print.
Summary: This volume is part of an annual to biannual series of publications from the European Space Agency featuring review papers in various fields of space biology. Volume 7 is of special interest to educators, as it includes a chapter on the teaching of space life sciences. The chapter touches on all the disciplines featured in this site and gives hints on what to cover in the classroom. This review would be especially helpful for a teacher putting together a lesson plan.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also available as a PDF here.
Summary: The Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project, sponsored by NASA Johnson Space Center's Medical Science Division, conducted a series of investigations to assess the medical status of crewmembers and the environment where they work. Results of the project, which yielded substantial amounts of data in six biomedical research areas, are described in this final report.
Level: Advanced
Availability: In print. Also available online here.
Summary: The workshop detailed in this report was a conceptual discussion on how biological systems might one day become the basis for technologies that allow humans to venture further into space.
Title: Committee on Space Biology and Medicine. A Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine in the New Century. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1998.Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also available online here.
Summary: A series of recommendations for space biology research in the next century, the report also includes clear summaries of many disciplines in the space life sciences. Each chapter includes a summary of past research in the given discipline, including lessons learned, and a guide to future research directions. Each bibliography/reference list includes several pages of citations.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also available online here.
Summary: What is the proper role for the scientific community in any program of human exploration? This report is the first of three that will examine many of the science and science policy matters concerned with the return of astronauts to the Moon and eventual voyages to Mars. Specifically addressed in this book is the question of what scientific knowledge must be obtained as a prerequisite for prolonged human space missions?
Title: Moore, D., P. Bie, and H. Oser, eds. Biological and Medical Research in Space: An Overview of Life Sciences Research in Microgravity. Springer-Verlag, 1996.Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: In print.
Summary: Published by the European Space Agency, this book provides a comprehensive reference for research done in space life sciences up to the mid-1990s. Each chapter reviews research in a particular discipline within space life sciences and provides a good starting point for students researching a particular topic in the field.
A substantial bibliography at the end of each chapter is included for those looking for further reading.
Title: Souza, K., R. Hogan, and R. Ballard, eds. Life into Space: Space Life Sciences Experiments at Ames Research Center 1965-1990. NASA RP-1372, Washington, DC, 1995.Level: Beginning-Advanced
Availability: Out of print. Available online here and on CD-ROM.
Summary: Life into Space, 1965-1990 is a reference book covering space life sciences experiments sponsored by Ames Research Center between 1965 and 1990. The main body of the book provides an overview of the programs and payloads flown during those years and contains background material on space biology appropriate for less advanced students. Extensive appendices provide detailed descriptions of the experiments, publications, and hardware related to the payloads, and require some background in biology for full comprehension.
Level: Advanced
Availability: Available in PDF.
Download Complete Book (216.5 MB); Intro/CH 1: The Space Environment (37.2 MB); CH 2: Manned Spacecraft and Space Biology (8.2 MB); CH 3: Bioscience Hardware on Manned Flights (59.2 MB); CH 4: Experiments in Unmanned Vehicles (13.9 MB); CH 5: Experiment Design and Development (33.8); CH 6: Involvement in Microgravity Experimentation (3.5 MB); CH 7: Microgravity Opportunities - Present and Future (19.7 MB); App/Index (19.7 MB)
Summary: Written for biology researchers, Biology in Microgravity, explores the issues researchers face in conducting biology in space, and highlights the links between biologists and engineers.
Level: Intermediate
Availability: In print. Also, available free online here.
Summary: This study discusses opportunities for space science in the period from 1995 to 2015, broken down into 6 subjects: the planet earth, planetary and lunar exploration, solar system space physics, astronomy and astrophysics, fundamental physics and chemistry, and life sciences.
Title: Harding, R. Survival In Space: Medical Problems of Manned Space Flight. Routledge, London, New York, 1989.Level: Intermediate
Availability: Out of print.
Summary: This book mainly focuses on the requirements for human survival in the space environment. The topics are generally historical and light on review of specific research. The first part of the book reviews the U.S. and other space programs, with a focus on older missions. It then goes on to review life support in microgravity and the major effects of space on the human body.
Title: Biomedical Results from Skylab. NASA SP-377, 1977.Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: Available online here.
Summary: The Skylab program offered the first chance to perform long-term medical research in microgravity. Most Skylab medical experiments were designed to provide an indepth study of individual body systems and at the same time provide an overlap to give comprehensive understanding of man's reaction to long-term weightless flight. This book presents the significant medical results from the three manned Skylab missions.
Title: Biomedical Results of Apollo. NASA SP-368, 1975.Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: Available online here.
Summary: The Apollo program launched the first and only non-orbital manned space flight missions, which presented new challenges in space medicine. This book describes the biomedical program developed for Apollo, lists the findings of those investigations which were conducted to assess the effects of space flight on man's physiological and functional capacities, and documents significant medical events during the Apollo missions.
Title: Space Medicine in Project Mercury. NASA SP-4003, 1965Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Availability: Available online here.
Summary: This book presents the history of the medical support program behind project Mercury, the first American manned space flight program. Project Mercury marked the transition from what had come to be known as aviation medicine to what is now recognized as space medicine. Space Medicine in Project Mercury documents the early evolution of this discipline.