Some years ago, I saw a poll that suggested that a large majority of British citizens would decline a free trip to the moon, on the grounds that there is nothing to do on the moon. I am an extreme sucker for space stuff, and would jump at the chance to spend a week or so on the moon. Nevertheless, I had to admit they had a point. The moon is a neat rock. I could picture myself walking around up there, maybe driving the lunar rover in a big circle, but then what? On the other hand: It’s another celestial body. Wouldn’t you, as a hominid, kind of have to go, if you got the chance? Apparently not. I conducted an informal survey of my friends, and they basically all wanted to stay on Earth. Losers, cowards; this is why society is in such a dire state. We used to aspire!   So maybe most people would decline to actually go to space (even if I would like to go, I can’t; I have a job), but there is clearly a large appetite for media that is in some way about space.…