About the Author

Greg Klerkx is a former senior manager of the SETI Institute, an independent space exploration and research institution based in California's Silicon Valley. Trained as a journalist, he won numerous news-writing awards and now divides his time between London and San Francisco. Lost in Space is his first book.

Reviews

"A penetrating indictment . . . an absorbing jeremiad for those who . . . look beyond the PR shots of jubilant Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists.” —Newsweek

“A battle cry for the alternative space programÉan engaging counterpoint to the can-do rhetoric headed our way via . . . NASA officials.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“A clear-eyed analysis . . .with vivid examples.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Thoughtful and . . . informational. . . . It is clear that [Klerkx] has done a great deal of research and knowsÉa lot about efforts at space travel and exploration as well as its finance and politics.” —Los Angeles Times

"Compelling. . . . Essential reading." --Buzz Aldrin

“Readable and smart. . . . A summary of all the things that happened while the rest of us weren’t paying attention. . . . . [Bush said] America should return to the moon. . . . After reading this history of America’s space agency, one might be inclined to take NASA off the job.” --Charleston Post & Courier

"Informative, passionate. . . . Klerkx excoriates NASA relentlessly, effectively." --The Guardian

"An important book that provides a context for understanding the decline of NASA and the rise of the alternative space community." --The San Diego Union-Tribune

“Fascinating. . . . Raises points that should be included in any debate on the issue.” --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A very sound and readable analysis of the cause and cure of the present malaise in this planet's space programme. . . . Klerkx backs up his analysis with compelling evidence and insight." --The Times Literary Supplement (London)

"A must-read for space enthusiasts who may be interested in being part of the future revolution in affordable space access. Greg Klerkx has gathered a wealth of historical information, old and recent, and presents it in a readable story that is hard to put down." --Burt Rutan, aircraft and spacecraft developer

“Convincing. . . . [An] eleg[y] to human space travel.” --The New York Sun

"A clear, informed and poignant analysis of how the space agency lost its way. . . . Klerkx's report could not be more timely." --Keay Davidson, author of Carl Sagan: A Life

"Lost in Space is a must-read. . . . Klerkx presents a masterful argument on why the space program is in a deep rut and what needs to happen to get out of it. . . . He offers a healthy outside perspective when it is sorely needed." --Dayton Beach News Journal

"This lively, well-reported, and unapologetic work will give new hope to anyone who's clung to the dream of human spaceflight during the three long decades since the last Apollo mission." --Thomas Mallon, author of Aurora 7 and Two Moons

“Passionate. . . . Provocative. . . . Important.” --Sci Fi

“Those working on changing NASA need to review this book if they want to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.” --The Huntsville Times

"Excellent. . . . You can't sit on the fence after reading this book. . . . If you want to know where NASA has gone wrong or of the many ideas that people have been and are expounding for space access, Lost in Space is the book." --Universe Today

"Klerkx documents how [NASA] stamped on every form of external competition. . . . One reads with the certain conviction that this had to be said." --New Statesman

“Well-researched. . . . Klerkx provides ample evidence and maddening examples of NASA’s ‘fractitious bureaucracy.'” --East Bay Express

"Fascinating. . . . Klerkx backs up [his] argument with extensive research. . . . A very interesting book." --The Space Review

In this sprawling and sometimes polemical account, Klerkx, formerly associated with the SETI Institute, excoriates what he sees as NASA's present-day loss of vision. During the Apollo program, NASA's goal was manned space exploration. But over the last 29 years, the agency has scaled down its vision, content to send unmanned missions to the other planets and keep human beings in earth orbit with the short-lived Skylab, the troubled shuttle fleet and the "money-gobbling" International Space Station. Klerkx draws out some of the threads in the tangled web that connects the perpetually feuding NASA fiefdoms, NASA's major suppliers (and major congressional contributors), like Boeing, and the politicians who write the checks. He believes that private-sector entrepreneurs will wrest future space exploration away from the self-serving NASA bureaucracy, which too often views space in terms of military and strategic applications. Klerkx presents the nouveaux riches businessmen investing millions in space-related projects, like Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Elon Musk, founder of Paypal, as well as eccentric visionaries like Robert Zubrin and his Mars Society. The Columbia disaster hangs over Klerkx's tale like a dark shadow.. Some readers may think Klerkx is still under the spell of his boyhood dream of being an astronaut and giving short shrift to arguments against human space exploration. But readers who share Klerkx's dream will be captivated by his vision of what needs to be done to resume manned space flights and of what humankind is capable of achieving. (Jan. 13) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

"A penetrating indictment . . . an absorbing jeremiad for those who . . . look beyond the PR shots of jubilant Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists." -Newsweek

"A battle cry for the alternative space programEan engaging counterpoint to the can-do rhetoric headed our way via . . . NASA officials." -San Francisco Chronicle

"A clear-eyed analysis . . .with vivid examples." -The Wall Street Journal

"Thoughtful and . . . informational. . . . It is clear that [Klerkx] has done a great deal of research and knowsEa lot about efforts at space travel and exploration as well as its finance and politics." -Los Angeles Times

"Compelling. . . . Essential reading." --Buzz Aldrin

"Readable and smart. . . . A summary of all the things that happened while the rest of us weren't paying attention. . . . . [Bush said] America should return to the moon. . . . After reading this history of America's space agency, one might be inclined to take NASA off the job." --Charleston Post & Courier

"Informative, passionate. . . . Klerkx excoriates NASA relentlessly, effectively." --The Guardian

"An important book that provides a context for understanding the decline of NASA and the rise of the alternative space community." --The San Diego Union-Tribune

"Fascinating. . . . Raises points that should be included in any debate on the issue." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A very sound and readable analysis of the cause and cure of the present malaise in this planet's space programme. . . . Klerkx backs up his analysis with compelling evidence and insight." --The Times Literary Supplement (London)

"A must-read for space enthusiasts who may be interested in being part of the future revolution in affordable space access. Greg Klerkx has gathered a wealth of historical information, old and recent, and presents it in a readable story that is hard to put down." --Burt Rutan, aircraft and spacecraft developer

"Convincing. . . . [An] eleg[y] to human space travel." --The New York Sun

"A clear, informed and poignant analysis of how the space agency lost its way. . . . Klerkx's report could not be more timely." --Keay Davidson, author of Carl Sagan: A Life

"Lost in Space is a must-read. . . . Klerkx presents a masterful argument on why the space program is in a deep rut and what needs to happen to get out of it. . . . He offers a healthy outside perspective when it is sorely needed." --Dayton Beach News Journal

"This lively, well-reported, and unapologetic work will give new hope to anyone who's clung to the dream of human spaceflight during the three long decades since the last Apollo mission." --Thomas Mallon, author of Aurora 7 and Two Moons

"Passionate. . . . Provocative. . . . Important." --Sci Fi

"Those working on changing NASA need to review this book if they want to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past." --The Huntsville Times

"Excellent. . . . You can't sit on the fence after reading this book. . . . If you want to know where NASA has gone wrong or of the many ideas that people have been and are expounding for space access, Lost in Space is the book." --Universe Today

"Klerkx documents how [NASA] stamped on every form of external competition. . . . One reads with the certain conviction that this had to be said." --New Statesman

"Well-researched. . . . Klerkx provides ample evidence and maddening examples of NASA's 'fractitious bureaucracy.'" --East Bay Express

"Fascinating. . . . Klerkx backs up [his] argument with extensive research. . . . A very interesting book." --The Space Review