Early Visions of Not-Earth and Space Fiction -- Origins of the Space Age -- Cultural Rationale for Space -- Humans in Space -- Humans and Posthumans -- Do Rocks Have Rights? -- Never Again! -- Space Futures -- Top Ten Things to Know about Space and Society -- Key Words List.

Social Foundations of Human Space Exploration presents a uniquely human perspective on the quest to explore space and to understand the universe through the lens of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It considers early stories about the universe in various cultures; recent space fiction; the origins and cultural rationale for the space age; experiences of humans in space and their emerging interactions with robots and artificial intelligence; how humans should treat environments and alien life; and the alternative futures of space exploration and settlement.