Space Engineering

Human! A name that strikes terror in the hearts of the galaxy. Well, maybe not terror. More like caution, actually. Since you know how hot-headed Humans can be. After the galaxy was attacked by invaders, the Milky Way was left but a shadow of its former self. In its wake, a savage, almost Wild West existence emerged, ruled by gun and muscle. And for anyone needing help in either the gun or muscle category—or both—everyone knows you . . . Hire a Human.

As a kid, Aomawa Shields was always bumping into things, her neck craned up at the sky, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. A year into an astrophysics PhD program, plagued by self-doubt and discouraged by a white male professor who suggested that she—a young Black woman who also loved fashion, makeup, and the arts—didn’t belong, she left astronomy and pursued acting professionally for a decade, before a day job working for NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope drew her back to the stars.

In The Elephant in the Universe, Govert Schilling explores the fascinating history of the search for dark matter. Evidence for its existence comes from a wealth of astronomical observations. Theories and computer simulations of the evolution of the universe are also suggestive: they can be reconciled with astronomical measurements only if dark matter is a dominant component of nature.

Hot diggity dog! Meet Pluto! The runt of a litter of eight planets. Pluto may not be the biggest or fastest planet to revolve around the Sun, but it has a unique story to tell. From the tale of how it was found by humans to its naming as a dwarf planet, it’s Pluto’s turn to take the spotlight and properly re-introduce itself.

After one great battle, the Architects disappeared. Yet humanity’s fragile peace is brief. For, 40 years later, the galaxy’s greatest alien enemy has returned. This time, the artefacts that preserved entire worlds from destruction are ineffective. And no planet is safe. The Human Colony worlds are in turmoil as they face extinction. Some believe alliances with other species can save them. Others insist humanity must fight alone. But no one has the firepower or technology to ensure victory, as the Architects loom ever closer.

The queen is back.... Her hair is white, her grin is nasty, and she's a little pissed. The war is about to get a whole lot bigger. A breakthrough with the Etheric has given Bethany Anne an edge - and an opportunity to take the fight to the Ooken. What is a good Queen to do when not-so-good neighbors become royal pains in the ass? Baba Yaga comes out to play. Family drama on Devon isn’t the only thing standing in the way of Bethany Anne’s liberation of Moen.

Honor. Integrity. Brains. Damien Durne, former Genetics researcher and occasional attorney has been recruited by the Protectorate Intelligence Service to be a field agent – much to his own surprise. But the threat to human kind from an enemy civilization is real, and The Protectorate is on the brink of war - one that they will certainly lose. His mission to discover the foe and prevent the annihilation of all mankind takes him from mountainous summits, to the edge of the abyss, and into the arms of the woman no man can resist.

There seems to be evidence to suggest that our world and everything in it are only ghostly images: projections from a level of reality so beyond our own that the real reality is literally beyond both space and time. The main architect of this astonishing idea is one of the world’s most eminent thinkers - physicist David Bohm, a protégé of Einstein’s. In this executive summary, Chuck gives a current perspective on some of the areas that define our reality.

Humanity thought they could run. They were wrong. The ongoing trials and tribulations of the Gaea Ark and the last remnants of humanity in the galaxy. New Threat is the fourth book in the series. Aboard the Ark, there are as many secrets as there are survivors.

Mixing Bethany Anne and politics is inevitably going to cause an explosion. Unfortunately for the Federation council, she’s the only one with the power to take the fight to the Kurtherians. But not for long.... Gödel wants her revenge for Qu’Baka. Unbeknownst to Bethany Anne, the Seven are approaching Devon. Gödel’s bold move has far-reaching consequences for everyone playing the game. While coming to a solution to the sideshow on Red Rock, an old friend returns, reminding Bethany Anne of a time when things were simpler. See enemy. Kick enemy’s ass.

A compelling look inside the Space Shuttle missions that helped lay the groundwork for the Space Age, Shuttle, Houston explores the determined personalities, technological miracles, and 11th-hour saves that have given us human spaceflight. Relaying stories of missions (and their grueling training) in vivid detail, Paul Dye, NASA's longest-serving flight director, examines the split-second decisions that the directors and astronauts were forced to make in a field where mistakes are unthinkable and errors led to the loss of national resources - and more importantly one's crew.

The Eastern Alliance and Vahl Coalition are embroiled in a full-scale war, but Magnus only has one battle on his mind—finding Kashana. Unwilling to move forward without her, Magnus, Naruni, and Helix embark on a rescue mission, taking them all across Samsara. As they fight bizarre, new enemies, native animals engineered for warfare, and one of Asharru’s old comrades, they gradually come to realize there is more to the story than Asharru had told them. On their journey, Asharru’s Deltas learn about much more than their strange world. They learn about themselves, their ancestry, and ...

Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts you won't be able to get anywhere else.

Big History, the field that studies the entire known past of our universe to give context to human existence, has so far been the domain of historians. Geologist Walter Alvarez - best known for his Impact Theory explaining dinosaur extinction - makes a compelling case for a new, science-first approach to Big History.

Award-winning science writer and documentarian Rod Pyle presents an insider's perspective on the most unusual and bizarre space missions ever devised inside and outside of NASA. The incredible projects described here were not merely flights of fancy....

What actually happens when the words, "beam me up, Scottie" are uttered? What "warps" when something travels at warp speed? Internationally renowned theoretical physicist and educator Lawrence M. Krauss provides matter-of-fact scientific explanations of the physics of Star Trek in this highly creative and informative guide for both the devoted Trekkie and the physics novice.

"The Accelerating Universe is not only an informative book about modern cosmology. It is rich storytelling and, above all, a celebration of the human mind in its quest for beauty in all things." (Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams)

In the early 17th century, Galileo broke free from the hold of ancient Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy. He drastically changed the framework through which we view the natural world when he asserted that we should base our theory of reality on what we can observe rather than pure thought. In the process, he invented what we would come to call science. This set the stage for all the breakthroughs that followed - from Kepler to Newton to Einstein.

We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies, and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In Out There, Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer).

Black holes are the most extreme objects in the universe, and yet they are ubiquitous. Frighteningly enigmatic, these dark giants continue to astound even the scientists who spend their careers studying them. Einstein’s Monsters reveals how our comprehension of black holes is intrinsically linked to how we make sense of the universe and our place within it. From the small questions to the big ones - from the tiniest particles to the nature of space-time itself - black holes might be the key to a deeper understanding of the cosmos.