Packing for Mars

The bestselling author of Stiff explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity Space is devoid of the stuff humans need to live: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh veg, privacy, beer. How much can a person give up? What happens when you can''t walk for a year? Is sex any fun in zero gravity? What''s it like being cooped up in a metal box with a few people for months at a time? As Mary Roach discovers, it''s possible to explore space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a 17,000 mile-per-hour crash test of NASA''s space capsule (cadaver stepping in), she takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of living in space.