American Scientist

As a child, I wanted to go to Space Camp. Maybe it had to do with the 1986 movie of the same name, or perhaps it was from reading and hearing about Christa McAuliffe, and then watching the Challenger disaster unfold on live television. I don't know how, but a full-color, multipage booklet about Space Camp and Aviation Challenge arrived in the mail, and I would read it every day. I practically had the booklet memorized, reading about the daily schedules, what the campers did and what they learned, and everything that the week entailed. As I write this, I can still see the booklet in my memories.

Despite my pleading, I never did get to go. Though I remained fascinated with the cosmos, I ended up putting that aside and focusing on other disciplines.

But 35 years later, I finally went to Space Camp with my 8-year-old: We went to Family Space Camp. My son loves all things space and plans on becoming an astronaut. He can chat with the best of them about Artemis, Starliner, the history of the shuttle program, and much more. I am not as well-versed. Not yet, anyway. I’m still making my way through the stack of books I had gathered to prepare me for Space Camp—and I’ve even added more, like Andy Weir’s novel The Martian, which was a recommendation from one of the other parents on our camp team. Truth be told, my reading list could probably be much longer, but I finally settled on a list that felt manageable and provided me with a decent foundation. The books include classics, backlist books, and recently published books, but this is by no means a definitive list.

The Basics

Despite my love of and interest in space, I had never read Carl Sagan until this past summer. I had the classic Cosmos on my shelf, along with his novel Contact (which is one of my favorite movies), but hadn’t read either of them yet. I figured what better time to read a classic than before going to Space Camp?

There are also several field guides on my list. Stars & Planets: The Most Comprehensive Guide to the Stars, Planets, Galaxies, and Solar System by Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion is one that’s very comprehensive. It's accessible but still academic, and full of colorful charts, figures, photos, and illustrations. Lonely Planet also has some fantastic books out right now, including Stargazing Around the World: A Tour of the Night Sky, by Valerie Stimac; Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism, also by Stimac; and The Universe, a “travel guide” created in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). All three of these books have breathtaking photography—the last one in particular, which is a 600+ page book full of information.

Spaceflight, Space Missions, and More

When many people think of space, I’d wager that spaceflight, specifically the shuttle program, is probably what comes to mind. Adam Higginbotham’s Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space came out in May, and is an immersive, comprehensive story that reads like a thriller and covers the disaster, as well as the systemic factors that contributed to it, and its aftermath. The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel, by Meredith Bagby, just came out in paperback, and tells the story of NASA’s 1978 astronaut class, which included the first American women, the first African Americans, the first Asian American, and the first gay individual to go to the Moon. Bagby writes about not just the way these individuals broke various barriers within NASA, but also their interpersonal lives and relationships, and how these astronauts impacted the space program.

If you’re interested in international spaceflight, check out The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned, by John Strausbaugh. It’s an engaging look at the Soviet space program—and what you read might surprise you.

The Mission by David W. Brown explores the deep space mission to Europa, but also delves into the complicated human aspects of space exploration: the political, social, and financial players that the public typically doesn’t see. Brown deftly navigates multiple facets of this story, illuminating the personal lives of scientists while also immersing readers in the scientific side of the mission.

Astronaut Cady Coleman’s book Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change, is an inspiring book about Coleman’s path to being an astronaut, including stories from her life and her various experiences, and how she overcame her insecurities.

There are even more new and forthcoming books about astronomy, astrobiology, and space, including The Secret Life of the Universe by Nathalie A. Cabrol, Hidden in the Heavens by Jason Steffen, and Star Bound: A Beginner’s Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard’s Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything In Between by Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III, the son of astronaut Bruce McCandless II, who is in the iconic and terrifying photo of the first untethered spacewalk.

Which ones will you be adding to your reading pile? Do you have any favorites not mentioned here?