In the next decade, NASA, by itself and in collaboration with the European Space Agency, is planning a minimum of four separate missions to Mars. Clearly, exciting times are ahead for Mars exploration. This is an insider’s look into the amazing projects now being developed here and abroad to visit the legendary red planet. Drawing on his contacts at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the author provides stunning insights into the history of Mars exploration and the difficulties and dangers of traveling there. After an entertaining survey of the human fascination with Mars over the centuries, the author offers an introduction to the geography, geology, and water processes of the planet. He then briefly describes the many successful missions by NASA and others to that distant world. But failure and frustration also get their due. As the author makes clear, going to Mars is not, and never will be, easy. Later in the book, he describes in detail what each upcoming mission will involve. In the second half of the book, he offers the reader a glimpse inside the world of Earth-based "Mars analogs," places on Earth where scientists are conducting research in hostile environments that are eerily "Martian." Finally, he constructs a probable scenario of a crewed expedition to Mars, so that readers can see how earlier robotic missions and human Earth simulations will fit together. All this is punctuated by numerous firsthand interviews with some of the finest Mars explorers of our day, including Stephen Squyres (Mars Exploration Rover), Bruce Murray (former director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and Peter Smith (chief of the Mars Phoenix Lander and the upcoming OSIRIS-REx missions). These stellar individuals give us an insider’s view of the difficulties and rewards of roaming the red planet. The author’s infectious enthusiasm and firsthand knowledge of the international space industry combine to make a uniquely appealing and accessible book about Mars.

Mars is back. Suddenly everyone – from Elon Musk to Ridley Scott to Donald Trump – is talking about going to the Red Planet. When the Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon in 1969, many people imagined Mars would be next. However NASA's Viking 1, which landed in 1976, was just a robot. The much-anticipated crewed mission failed to materialise, defeated by a combination of technological and political challenges. Four decades after Viking and almost half a century after Apollo technology has improved beyond recognition – as has politics. As private ventures like SpaceX seize centre stage from NASA, Mars has undergone a seismic shift – it's become the prime destination for future human expansion and colonisation. But what's it really like on Mars, and why should anyone want to go there? How do you get there and what are the risks? Astrophysicist and science writer Andrew May answers these questions and more, as he traces the history of our fascination with the Red Planet.

Examines how the red planet has been perceived throughout human history--in mythology, religion, astrology, folklore, early scientific history, science fiction, and the modern era of scientific discovery and space travel. Special attention is given to NASA's exploration of Mars, from the first man-made satellite to orbit Mars and the first man-made observation vehicle to land on Mars, to information about the two current missions: Pathfinder and the Mars Global Surveyor. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Examines the planet Mars, discussing its surface, climate, formation, and exploration.

Is there life on Mars? Could humankind eventually colonize the red planet? NASA and other space agencies have been working to answer these questions for decades. From high-powered telescopes to the Mars rovers, the tools used to explore Mars are incredible pieces of technology. What they've discovered about Mars is even more amazing. Your readers will travel through the history of study of the fourth planet from the sun, including the missions to Mars so far and what modern scientists are doing to learn more.

Seymour Simon has written more than 150 award-winning science books about animals, anatomy, astronomy, earth science, and vehicles! Named after the Roman god of war, Mars has fascinated people for thousands of years. Did you know that . . . A Martian year is 687 Earth days, almost twice as long as a year on Earth. Mars’s biggest valley, Valles Marineris, is four times as deep as the Grand Canyon! Scientists think that Mars, now rocky and barren, once had an ocean, rivers, and a thicker atmosphere. The first robot ever to explore the surface of Mars is only about the size of a child’s toy wagon.

The Apollo 11 astronaut invites young people to evaluate Mars as a potential planet for human colonization, and describes what Mars residents might experience while traveling to and living on the Red Planet.