Synopses & Reviews
For astronaut Ron Garan, living on the International Space Station was a powerful, transformative experience — one that he believes holds the key to solving our problems on Earth.
On spacewalks and through windows, Garan was struck by the stunning beauty of the earth from space but sobered by knowing how troubled our planet is. And yet on the International Space Station, Garan, a former fighter pilot, was working side by side with Russians, who only a few years before were "the enemy." If fifteen nationalities could collaborate on one of the most ambitious, technologically complicated undertakings in history, surely we can apply that kind of cooperation and innovation toward creating a better world. That spirit is what Garan calls the "orbital perspective."
Garan vividly conveys what it was like learning to work with a diverse group of people in an environment only a handful of human beings have ever known. But more importantly, he describes how he and others are working to apply the orbital perspective here at home, embracing new partnerships and processes to promote peace and combat hunger, thirst, poverty, and environmental destruction. This book is a call to action for each of us to care for the most important space station of all: planet Earth. You don't need to be an astronaut to have the orbital perspective.
Synopsis
HUGE FOLLOWING: Garan is a celebrated astronaut, entrepreneur and philanthropist with a social media following of over 3.5 million and is a frequent keynote speaker—he's the only person to have done a TED talk from space.INSPIRING MESSAGE: Shows how the unlikely success of the International Space Station (which was just nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize) has the seeds of solving our most intractable global problems.
STORIES FROM SPACE: Features fascinating stories of Garan's space travels as well as of his transformation to activism and social entrepreneurism.
About the Author
Col. Ron Garan (USAF ret.) is a decorated fighter pilot, astronaut, aquanaut, and entrepreneur. He has logged 178 days in space and 71 million miles in orbit. He is the founder of the nonprofit social enterprise incubator Manna Energy Foundation and has worked with the US Agency for International Development. Col. Garan is also the founder of Fragile Oasis (FragileOasis.org), an effort to use the orbital perspective to inspire positive social and environmental action.
Table of Contents
Part 1: LOOKING SKYWARD: Road to the International Space Station
Chapter 1 – Humanity's Home in the Heavens
Chapter 2 – The International Space Station: Genesis of a Game Changer
Chapter 3 – Delicate Ballet: Global Collaboration in Space
Part 2: LOOKING EARTHWARD: The Orbital Perspective
Chapter 4 – One Moment in Space
Chapter 5 – The Orbital Perspective
Chapter 6 – The Key is We
Chapter 7 – Node One.
Chapter 8 – Global Conversations
Part 3: LOOKING FORWARD: Nothing Is Impossible
Chapter 9 – Innovation is Risky Business
Chapter 10 – Ideas are Highly Overrated
Chapter 11 – Define Your Mission
Chapter 12 – Find inspiration
Chapter 13 – From Impossible to Possible
Chapter 14 – Kibo: Hope for Tomorrow