Description
Book SynopsisGorgeously illustrated with NASA photography, the large-format (12 × 12 inches) NASA Missions to Mars examines everything from the first tentative steps toward the fourth planet to the 2021 landing of rover Perseverance and beyond. Space exploration has always been about pushing boundaries, but perhaps the achievement which has most piqued a sense of possibility has been the exploration of Mars. Beginning with
Soviet and American flybys in the early 1960s that were part and parcel of the
Space Race, acclaimed space historian Piers Bizony continues through complete coverage of the
Viking 1 and 2 missions of 1975–1976. Bizony also traces
NASA’s acclaimed rover program, describing the development, technologies, mission histories, and achievements of the rovers
Sojourner,
Opportunity,
Spirit, and
Curiosity—all on the 25th anniversary of their first landing.
Trade Review“Space historian Piers Bizony has put together an extraordinary volume of humankind’s outreach to and fascination with Mars.” -- Leonard David * Leonard David's Inside Outer Space *
Table of ContentsCONTENTS
Preface
Piers Bizony
Introduction to Mars
A special essay by Andy Chaikin
1 RED PLANET VISIONS
Aliens, empires, and invasions
2 FIRST CONTACT
Discovering Mars as it really is
3 ROBOT EXPLORERS
Searching for life, past or present
4 HUMAN MARTIANS
Strategies to settle a new world
Fold-out map of Mars
Index
Acknowledgments & credits
