Book Review: Space Shock (OT)(18 Threats that Will Define Space Power)

Space Shock (18 Threats that Will Define Space Power), by Peter Garretson and Richard Harrison (Armin Lear Press, $24.95, 2025, 330pp)

                                                            

Space Shock is one book whose title says it all: "18 threats that will define space power." I leave it up to the reader to make the connection between the title and the text, however.

Written by two subject matter experts (SMEs) rather than reporters or journalists, Space Shock seems to be an expanded engineering document - very well organized.

Written for a high-level expert audience, the book seems long but isn't, because of the comfortable font size and spacing. Each chapter has a couple of illustrations (not captioned, just plopped in) that, if in color, would be worthy of being studied as works of art.

I had some difficulty with the index, though - there could have been better spacing and slightly smaller font size for ease of finding a topic. Loved the chapter summaries and recommendations, however, though a shorter version in the chapters' first words would tell the reader what to look for as well and focus his attention. And again, each chapter/senario has the same methodology so planning and comparisons are easier and more valuable.

We are at the beginning of another couple of decades of revived interest in space, particularly by China and Russia, so to help in planning, Space Shock provides a synopsis of scenarios with their discussion participants named - very helpful for high-level directors of space programs. Even if a scenario materializes, it would be years in the future, with different personnel in key positions: however, those personnel would have similar backgrounds and their discussion 'errors' committed now might be the same as in the future. Therefore, a critique of those role plays, if analyzed, would serve their purpose well.