David Ariosto

On February 15, 2024, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from Kennedy Space Center. On board was Odysseus, a moon lander built and operated by the American space exploration company Intuitive Machines (IM). When the lander successfully touched down near Malpert-A crater, 190 miles from the moon’s south pole, it became the first craft to soft land on the moon by a private company. It was also the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Though it landed on an show more angled surface causing a 30-degree tilt of the lander, it remained functional and the mission was deemed a success.

Much of Open Space covers the current focus of space agencies around the world, and of the private space industry, on the importance of the moon. It is, once again, seen as a steppingstone to exploration of the rest of the solar system. The landing of Odysseus on the moon is the capstone of that portion of the book. It is, author David Ariosto says, a key part of an ongoing race to the moon between the US and China. He explores the current capabilities of the Chinese state run space program, and its main competitors. Those include NASA, of course, but his focus is on the host of private companies who today form the space exploration industry mostly based in the US.

Ariosto then looks at what might be next after conquering the moon. He explores current thinking (and capabilities) for journeying to Mars, and then potentially on into interstellar space. Most of what he reviews is hard science and technology and makes for interesting reading. The most “out there” is his coverage of the potential (and its currently ALL potential) for a Star Trek inspired “warp drive”.

The book is well researched and well laid out. For a science geek it’s a fascinating read. For anyone interested in the space industry it’s a worthwhile read, with the caveat that Ariosto’s deep dives may be a little too deep for casual readers. I was surprised, given the timing of its arrival, that there is comparatively little here about the Artemis program.

Read it for the deep dive into the current state of the space race, and the ongoing achievements that don’t get the headlines they deserve. show less

Not terribly difficult to read, but not terribly interesting either. The author's master's in public policy is evident throughout the book. There is actually very little in the way of ordinary life in Cuba that is not generally known, but an awful lot about the politics of Cuba's relationship with the world. Mildly interesting, at best.