Sign-In
Cart
Space Odyssey: Risk, Rivalries, and the Next Giant Leap
Hardcover
Publisher Price: $29.99
ISBN13: 9781400259076
Publisher: Harper Horizon
Published: Jan 26 2027
Pages: 304
Language: English
An insider's gripping look at the next stage of the space race.
From the near-catastrophe of Boeing's Starliner mission in 2024 to closed-door confrontations with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to high-stakes international diplomacy that may determine who returns to the Moon--and who reaches Mars first--Space Odyssey is a gripping insider's account of the choices shaping humanity's future beyond Earth. Bill Nelson--former U.S. senator, NASA Administrator, and astronaut--pulls back the curtain on the modern space race at the very moment it is being rewritten.
Drawing on firsthand experience at the highest levels of government and spaceflight, Nelson takes readers inside the cockpit, the Situation Room, and the Administrator's chair as NASA navigates a rapidly changing landscape. Once defined by superpower rivalry, space is now contested by private billionaires, rising nations, and competing visions of exploration itself. The United States faces a formidable challenger in China, unprecedented dependence on commercial partners, and political pressures that threaten to reshape science-driven decision-making.
With the clarity of a seasoned policymaker and the awe of someone who has seen Earth from orbit, Nelson recounts moments when failure loomed, alliances were tested, and history hung in the balance. He confronts ethical leadership questions in public service and leads a 60,000 member organization. He reveals how seemingly technical decisions--about spacecraft, budgets, and launch timelines--carry enormous consequences for national security, economic strength, and global leadership.
More than a memoir, Space Odyssey is a warning and a call to action. Nelson argues that if America cedes its leadership in space, it forfeits far more than prestige. It risks losing the strategic high ground, the scientific infrastructure that monitors climate change, and the innovations that quietly shape everyday life on Earth. At a time when the next century of exploration is being decided, Space Odyssey offers an urgent, authoritative, and deeply human perspective on why space still matters--and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
Also from
Nelson, Bill
Bundle: Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations, 6th + Mindtap, 1 Term Printed Access Card
Nelson, Bill
Phillips, Amelia
Steuart, Christopher
Hardcover
Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations, Loose-Leaf Version
Phillips, Amelia
Steuart, Christopher
Nelson, Bill
Paperback
Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations, Loose-Leaf Version
Nelson, Bill
Phillips, Amelia
Steuart, Christopher
Paperback
Marriage-Centered Money: Get on the Same Financial Page and Achieve Your Life Goals Together
Nelson, Bill
Paperback
Memoirs of a Mediocre Coach Who's Been Abundantly Blessed!: What coaching has taught me about life.
Nelson, Bill
Paperback
Also in
Astronomy & Space
Machine Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Spiritual Freedom and the Re-Animation of Matter
Lafitte, Luke
Paperback
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
The Self-Actualizing Cosmos: The Akasha Revolution in Science and Human Consciousness
Laszlo, Ervin
Paperback
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
Open Space: From Earth to Eternity--The Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos
Ariosto, David
Hardcover
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume I: Assessing Planetary Condition
George, Demetra
Paperback
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Kelly
Weinersmith, Zach
Paperback
A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness: A Cosmic Book on the Mechanics of Creation
Bentov, Itzhak
Paperback
Classical Mythology of the Constellations: Timeless Tales of the Starry Night Sky
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
Ojibwe Sky Star Map - Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to Ojibwe Star Knowledge
Lee, Annette Sharon
Wilson, William Peter
Gawboy, Carl
Paperback
Chasing the Northern Lights: Everything You Need to Know to See Nature's Greatest Light Show
Dk Travel
Hardcover
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Hardcover
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew
Ward, Jonathan H.
Leinbach, Michael D.
Paperback
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paperback
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
Night Sky Guide 2026: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
deGroot, Dagomar
Hardcover
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
Collins, Eileen M., USAF (Retired)
Ward, Jonathan H.
Hardcover
The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel
Bagby, Meredith
Paperback
Earthrise: Inside Artemis II, the Groundbreaking Human Mission Into Deep Space
Hansen, Jeremy
Larsen, John
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Life After Life: The Bestselling Original Investigation That Revealed Near-Death Experiences
Moody, Raymond
Paperback
The Shortest History of Our Universe: The Unlikely Journey from the Big Bang to Us
Baker, David
Paperback
Dakota/Lakota Star Map Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge
O'Rourke, Charlene
Lee, Annette Sharon
Rock, Jim
Paperback
The Six: The Extraordinary Story of the Grit and Daring of America's First Women Astronauts
Grush, Loren
Paperback
The Ultraview Effect: What We Can Learn from Astronauts about Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown
Weibel, Deana L.
Hardcover
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond
Lomberg, Jon
Siegel, Ethan
Garlick, Mark A.
Hardcover
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas: The Ultimate Guide to the Night Sky
Trefil, James
Wei-Haas, Maya
National Geographic
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Strauss, Michael A.
Gott, J. Richard
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science
Consolmagno, Guy J., Sj
Paperback
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World
Rovelli, Carlo
Paperback
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos
Rasmussen, Seven
Hardcover
Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me about Our Home Planet--And Our Mission to Protect It
Stott, Nicole
Hardcover
Webb's Universe: The Space Telescope Images That Reveal Our Cosmic History
Aderin-Pocock, Maggie
Hardcover
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life
Willis, Jon
Hardcover
The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
The Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science
Schneider, Michael S.
Paperback
Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmissions Through Myth
de Santillana, Giorgio
Von Dechend, Hertha
Paperback
Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe
Imara, Nia
Paperback
Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
Kurson, Robert
Paperback
The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfol
Swimme, Brian
Paperback
Reentry: Spacex, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
Berger, Eric
Hardcover
Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos
Novitsky, Travis
Lee, Annette S.
Paperback
The Random Universe: How Models and Probability Help Us Make Sense of the Cosmos
Jaffe, Andrew H.
Hardcover
Photographic Atlas of the Moon: A Comprehensive Guide for the Amateur Astronomer
Reeves, Robert
Hardcover
Constellations: The Story of Space Told Through the 88 Known Star Patterns in the Night Sky
Schilling, Govert
Hardcover
The Backyard Stargazer's Bible: Discover Constellations, Galaxies, Nebulae, Meteorites, and More
McIntyre, Mary
Federman, Rachel
Ridpath, Ian
Hardcover
Pillars of Creation: How the James Webb Telescope Unlocked the Secrets of the Cosmos
Panek, Richard
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Paperback
The Complete Book of Spacecraft: Rockets, Shuttles, Satellites, and Space Stations
Gorn, Michael H.
Sivolella, Davide
Hardcover
The Extraterrestrial Species Almanac: The Ultimate Guide to Greys, Reptilians, Hybrids, and Nordics
Campobasso, Craig
Paperback
The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality
Panek, Richard
Paperback
Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
Greene, Brian
Paperback
The Stage of Time: Secrets of the Past, The Nature of Reality, and the Ancient Gods of History
LaCroix, Matthew R.
Paperback
A Cloud a Day: (Cloud Appreciation Society Book, Uplifting Positive Gift, Cloud Art Book, Daydreamers Book)
Pretor-Pinney, Gavin
Hardcover