The Old Frontier -- The New Frontier -- The Rocket and Its Limits -- The First "Green" Space Technologies -- Probes to the Planets:Where We've Been on Our Journey -- Probes to the Stars:Concept Studies -- Breaking Out into Space:Visionary Futures -- Thinking Interstellar -- Technological Readiness -- Space Brakes("Living of the Land" by Using a Planetary Atmosphere) -- The Ion Trial -- The Orbital Steam Locomotive -- Sky Clippers -- Art or Science? -- Space Beanstalks -- Chemical Propulsion for Space Exploration: Good for Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow -- Human Exploration -- Defending the Earth -- Space Miners -- Some Exotic Possibilities -- Sights on Centauras.

A number of new space-propulsion technologies- including the solar sail, the solar-electric rocket, solar-thermal propulsion, aerocapture, tethers and advanced chemical propulsion- are becoming operational or are in an advanced state of development. This book draws parallels with the settlement of terrestrial frontiers to investigate how new space propulsion techniques may help future space settlers exploit extraterrestrial resources to establish independence from the Earth. "Living Off the Land in Space," a collaboration among two space scientists and an artist, is illuminated with many NASA-derived computer-generated images, including drawings, and presents the human (as well as the technological) side of space settlement. It will be an inspiring and indispensible source for those wishing to share in this great adventure.