内容

目次

Preface; Part I. The Imperative of Exploration: 1. Exploration as ametaphor; Part II. How Can We Know Life?: 2. The molecular basis of life onEarth; 3. The limits to life; 4. The transfer of life between planets; 5.What are the signatures of life?; 6. After the discovery/life as a cosmicphenomenon; Part III. The Search for Life Beyond Earth: 7. The prospects forlong-duration human space-flight; 8. Human exploration and the search forlife; 9. Interplanetary ethics; Part IV. The Cosmic Biological Imperative:10. The key technologies for human planetary exploration; 11. Exploration inspace; 12. Exploration in time; 13. Prediction, imagination and the role oftechnology; Part IV. Our Cosmic Destiny: 14. Our cosmic destiny; Appendices;Index.