Driving by Memory by William L. Fox

by William L. Fox

"When NASA launched its Mars-bound twin robot geologists Opportunity and Spirit in the summer of 2003, scientists were landing, as they have every year since 1997, in the closest thing we have to Mars on Haughton Crater in the Canadian High Arctic." "Every July, two dozen scientists set up camp on the rim of the Haughton Crater, a hole twelve miles across and almost a thousand feet deep, and one of only a handful of analog environments for Mars - places where the harsh climate, severe geology, and unfamiliar terrain mimic conditions off-planet. A place rife with history and wonder, this is where the members of NASA's Haughton-Mars Project develop techniques for manned and robotic missions to Mars." William L. Fox experienced firsthand the realities of the endeavor. With asides on the history of arctic expedition, the Inuit culture, and various arts and sciences, Driving to Mars ultimately attends to the question of why we explore - how we see the world and how we see ourselves in it, the opposite sides of a single issue that could determine whether or not we survive on Earth.

Genres: Space, Science

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this immediately after reading Robert Zubrin's Mars on Earth.

This book describes the work of NASA's Mars analog station on Devon Island in northern Canada. A Mars analog station is a project set in a cold and dry region of the earth for humans to learn how to adapt to a future martian encampment.

Both books are set in the same remote region of Canada at almost the same timeframe. Zubrin's book is a first-hand account of his endeavor to build a Mars analog station in the Canadian sub-Arctic. Fox's book is an observational account about his encounters with NASA's existing Mars analog station, which was established before Zubrin's project.

Fox's writing is more empathetic than Zubrin's and does not veer toward any controversy. Fox's interaction with Zubrin's project is fleeting, and although I expected this book to be a counterpoint to Zubrin, it is that, but only peripherally. Fox does not explicitly compare the two projects, although it seems clear that Fox is wary of Zubrin and did not express much interest in that project.

Fox's book does shed some light on my own misgivings for Zubrin's abrasive, 'my way or the highway' style, and it was good to have that sympathetic perspective.

[Samantha (AK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part history, and part speculation on the human spirit. Fox weaves through his account of time around the Haughton Crater with reflection on how humans came to consider Mars and where we might go from here.

The look into the author's mindset and thought process on how humans relate to unknown terrain was enthralling. However, if you're looking for a straight up account of events, you may want to look elsewhere. While I enjoy the diverse and tangential narratives the author employs, it may not be to everyone's taste.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha. Good book. None of y'all will ever be able to read it, though, as it never really got released. I got to read it, though. I'm special.

[Abtok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything and Everything by Bill Fox should be required reading.