Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever,' wrote the rocketry pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1911. 'If humans are indeed in an infant state, then it also stands to reason that many-if not most-of their visions of the future are essentially infantile as well,' writes Deudney today. His closely reasoned, deeply disturbing, and always fascinating treatise warns humanity to resist dreamy temptations to colonize-and most likely militarize-the solar system and to pursue instead 'space for earth.
Daniel Deudney is a professor of political science and international relations at Johns Hopkins University. He has written extensively on international theory, political theory and global issues: nuclear, space, environment and energy. His book Bounding Power: Republican Security from the Polis to the Global Village received the 'Book of the Decade' award from the International Studies Association.