The Future of Geography — How Power And Politics in Space Will Change Our World by Tim Marshall is beautifully descriptive: “The flickering lights of the stars tell many stories. Long before we even dreamed of venturing into space… Much of human endeavour has been driven by our desire to reach for the stars… ” Marshall’s research too is thorough as he brings in the earliest evidence of people attempting to understand the skies: “The earliest potential evidence of people trying to analyse and understand the skies dates to about 30,000 years ago, towards the end of the last Ice Age.”
The beautiful black and white pictures before each chapter — of the first moon landing, asteroids, satellites — transport the reader to a magical world of galaxies. For those interested in space exploration, this book provides a detailed insight into the past and future of the space world, and, more importantly, makes you understand why countries are racing to have the most space missions. “Both military and civilian players are already eying opportunities from the satellite belt all the way to the moon and onwards. This is the era of astropolitics.”
On July 14, India landed Chandrayaan-3 near the moon’s South Pole. Apart from being a moment of glory for the country, the mission will also be crucial in further exploring outer space. The book puts missions like these to perspective.
“We explored the world and discovered it is finite. Now, just as our territory and resources begin to run out, we find that the big, beautiful ball in the sky — the moon — is full of the minerals and elements we all need. It’s also a launchpad: just as early humans went from island to island as they crossed the seas, so the Moon will allow us to reach across the solar system and beyond.”
READ MORE: HT editors pick their best reads of 2023
