Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in Space (edition 2010)

by Mary Roach

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
3,765	263	3,308	(3.96)	457
The author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As the author discovers, it's possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), she takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.… (more)

▾Book information

Member:	souloftherose
Title:	Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in Space
Authors:	Mary Roach
Info:	Oneworld Publications (2010), Hardcover, 312 pages
Collections:	Use for recommendations, Read but unowned, Read in 2010
Rating:
Tags:	@Library, Space travel, Astronauts, Non-fiction, Humour, 2010 75 books challenge, TIOLI, Published: 2010

Work Information

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

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Showing 1-5 of 264 (next | show all)

Not what I was expecting. I was told that Roach is hilarious but I didn't find her writing humorous at all. To add, the last few chapters were written in a very immature and disgusting way. The only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is that it at least made sense. (

)

Kramer85 | Mar 8, 2024 |

I loved it .
Mary Roach has a wonderful blend of curiosity and humor that can make any topic interesting, but with starting material like this, she really soars.
Everything you ever wanted, and much you may never have wanted, to know about oddities of space travel
(

)

cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 |

Great! I now know many awesomely gross things about space travel! Seriously, some of the things made me laugh out loud, then feel grateful that my job does not have these crazy hazards. I would like to see Earth from Space but I'm not sure it's worth the hygiene challenges. (

)

hmonkeyreads | Jan 25, 2024 |

The first book by [a:Mary Roach|7956|Mary Roach|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1363641585p2/7956.jpg] that I have read, [b:Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void|17590015|Packing for Mars The Curious Science of Life in the Void|Mary Roach|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|8159756] was a packed with much science history of which I was unaware. I recommend it for an off-the-beaten-path look at the science and history of space travel.

[UPDATE : I have listened to the audiobook and, in accordance with my rules, have adjusted my rating to 5 stars. And I can recommend the audio version, as well. Roach's writing style practically begs to be read aloud. ] (

)

Treebeard_404 | Jan 23, 2024 |

Mary Roach explores and describes with fascinating details many of aspects of supporting life in space, leading up to the open-ended question of whether the pursuit of human life on Mars is worth it.

While I could do with less of Roach's humorous quips (there seemed to be more this time around than I remembered in Stiff), I'm grateful for the efforts she puts into these stories of science. Man, science is so cool. (

)

mimo | Dec 18, 2023 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Roach, Mary	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Burr, Sandra	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Cipriano, Ellen	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Druskin, Julia	Production manager	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Garrett, Scott	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Keenan, Jamie	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Nickolls, Leo	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Wiemer, Fred	Copyeditor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Canonical title

Original title

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Alternative titles

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in Space

Original publication date

2010-08

People/Characters

Important places

Mars

Earth orbit

Important events

Yuri Gagarin becomes first human in space. April 12, 1961

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

For Jay Mandel and Jill Bialosky,
with cosmic gratitude

First words

To the rocket scientist, you are a problem.

Quotations

If you stumbled onto Building 993 at Ellington Field airport, you would have to stop and wonder about the things inside. The sign on the front is as evocative and preposterous as the engraved brass one that says Ministry of Silly Walks in the Monty Python sketch of the same name. This sign says REDUCED GRAVITY OFFICE. I know what is in there, but even so, I have to stand for a moment and indulge my imagination, through which coffeepots are floating and secretaries drift here and there like paper airplanes. Or better still, an organization devoted to the taking of absolutely nothing seriously.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

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▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (5)

List of The Daily Show episodes (2010)

Maximum Absorbency Garment

No poo

Packing for Mars

Treadmill with Vibration Isolation Stabilization

▾Book descriptions

The author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As the author discovers, it's possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), she takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

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Contents:

He's smart but his birds are sloppy: Japan picks an astronaut -- Life in a box: the perilous psychology of isolation and confinement -- Star crazy: can space blow your mind? -- You go first: the alarming prospect of life without gravity -- Unstowed: escaping gravity on board NASA's C-9 -- Throwing up and down: the astronaut's secret misery -- The cadaver in the space capsule: NASA visits the crash test lab -- One furry step for mankind: the strange careers of Ham and Enos -- Next gas 200,000 miles: planning a moon expedition is tough, but not as tough as planning a simulated one -- Houston, we have a fungus: space hygiene and the men who stopped bathing for science -- The horizontal stuff: what if you never got out of bed? -- The three-dolphin club: mating without gravity -- Withering heights: bailing out from space -- Separation anxiety: the continuing saga of zero-gravity elimination -- Discomfort food: when veterinarians make dinner, and other tales of woe from aerospace test kitchens -- Eating your pants: is Mars worth it?

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