Did you watch the recent launch of the Space X Falcon Heavy rocket? I did, and I just have to say, wow! I was just a tyke when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, so I don’t remember watching that historic event on television. But I can imagine how amazing it must have been, because watching the Falcon Heavy launch and then seeing the side boosters separate and land perfectly upright in their designated landing zones was absolutely incredible. Also incredible are the numbers associated with the Falcon Heavy rocket: more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff; the ability to lift into orbit a payload of nearly 141,000 pounds; a total mass of 3,125,735 pounds. If 5 million pounds of thrust is difficult to comprehend, here is what SpaceX uses as a comparison: 18 747s at full power. Yowza! No doubt about it — it’s an exciting time for SpaceX and the future of space exploration.
While the magnitude of what SpaceX is accomplishing is considerable, and such endeavors demand serious thought, I appreciated the less serious moments during the Falcon Heavy launch. In case you missed it, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and the Tesla motor company, included in its payload a cherry-red Tesla roadster “manned” (or mannequined?) by a spacesuit-clad dummy named Starman. Fittingly, David Bowie’s song “Starman” played in the background. In another reference to pop culture, the Tesla’s dashboard displayed the words “Don’t Panic,” a nod to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. I was also struck by the positive energy and enthusiasm displayed by all SpaceX employees. Go team!
For your reading pleasure, here is a sampling of SpaceX-themed titles. One of the goals of SpaceX is to send humans to Mars someday, so below you will find a couple of books about the Red Planet in addition to fascinating reads about the visionary Elon Musk, the universe, cosmic scale, David Bowie and, of course, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a true science-fiction classic available at the library in print, eBook, eAudio and audiobook formats. Far out.
• “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,” by Ashlee Vance.
• “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams.
• “Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet,” by Leonard David.
• “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration,” by Buzz Aldrin.
• “Spider from Mars: My Life with Bowie,” by Mick Woodmansey.
• “Startalk: Everything You Need to Know about Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond,” by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
