Access to orbit is essential for communications, scientific research, and national security. According to figures provided by the British Government, the UK space sector contributes £16.4 billion per year to the UK economy, and the global space economy is projected to hit £490 billion in the next seven years. With this in mind, our resident science fiction author, Gareth L. Powell, takes a look at fictional alternatives.
Lisa Pratt, the new planetary protection officer for NASA takes up her job at a challenging time for astrobiology. We are approaching a major decision point for Mars. If Elon Musk succeeds in his ambitious plans, then some time in the next couple of decades we may introduce trillions of hardy microbial spores to the planet.