NASA has recently lost its space shuttle program. The space, as of now, is largely a private affair. It may seem like a win, but really, looking at it closer, it is largely a grand loss.

But no worries. There are other things NASA will be engaging in: namely, the business of publishing.

Many may be surprised, mostly those who keep their penchant for Star Trek under wraps like a set of dirty socks, that science fiction has a long history of influencing space exploration and extraterrestrial sciences, as well as vice versa. Panels of futurists have always graced various commissions and studies, and most science fiction writers are or were practicing scientists.

Now that we’ve cleared this up back to NASA.

NASA, now that it has all this time not worrying about shuttlecrafts, is entering the world of publishing. In a big media splash, the public space agency has unveiled a NASA-inspired set of novels. Why? To inspire the next generation of kids.

The reasoning seems flat, but I don’t mind. The Tor-Forge books will be commissioning the likes of Scarlett Thomas, Douglas Rushkoff, Ray Hammond and Markus Heitz, who will create the works in question.