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Destination Mars: The Story of Our Quest to Conquer the Red Planet
When the Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon in 1969, many people imagined Mars would be next. Half a century later, only robots have been to the Red Planet and our astronauts rarely venture beyond Earth orbit.
Now Mars is back With everyone from Elon Musk to Ridley Scott and Donald Trump talking about it, interplanetary exploration is back on the agenda and Mars is once again the prime destination for future human expansion and colonisation.
In Destination Mars, astrophysicist and science writer Andrew May traces the history of our fascination with the Red Planet and explores the science upon which a crewed mission would be based, from assembling a spacecraft in Earth orbit to surviving solar storms. With expert insight, he analyses the new space race and assesses what the future holds for human life on Mars.
Now Mars is back With everyone from Elon Musk to Ridley Scott and Donald Trump talking about it, interplanetary exploration is back on the agenda and Mars is once again the prime destination for future human expansion and colonisation.
In Destination Mars, astrophysicist and science writer Andrew May traces the history of our fascination with the Red Planet and explores the science upon which a crewed mission would be based, from assembling a spacecraft in Earth orbit to surviving solar storms. With expert insight, he analyses the new space race and assesses what the future holds for human life on Mars.
163 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2017
14 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Andrew May
51 books39 followersAndrew May is a former scientist with an MA from Cambridge University and a PhD in Astrophysics from Manchester University. After a thirty year career spanning the academic, government and private sectors, he has now settled in the South-West of England where he works as a freelance writer and consultant on subjects as diverse as defence technology, history, physics, Forteana and New Age beliefs.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 16, 2024
Ātri un interesanti. Sākot no fantastiskām idejām, pirmajām raķetēm, kas nogādāja kosmosā robotus un cilvēkus, līdz Marsa teraformēšanas teorētiskajām iespējām. Uzzināju ļoti daudz. Ir jākoncentrējas, bet teksts uzrakstīts ļoti saprotamā valodā, "priekš čaiņikiem".
March 1, 2019
Destination Mars: The Story of Our Quest to Conquer the Red Planet by Andrew May, is an interesting book about Mars and the present and future potential for Mars exploration. May looks at the history of Mars exploration - an idea floated by NASA for at least four decades. However, in the wake of multiple NASA accidents resulting from catastrophic failures, as well as a decline in interest in Martian exploration after the Cold War, the project has had its timeline extended drastically. May also examines some of the technological progress made in terms of rocketry, probes and rovers, life support systems and so on that may make a Martian expedition possible by humans. Technologies such as a deep space station orbiting the moon as both a training facility for deep space living (necessary for potentially years in space during a Mars trip) and as a supply point and construction zone for future Martian expeditions.
May examines the current possibilities that exist for space agencies to travel to Mars. Both private corporations and public agencies have become increasingly interested. Currently, projects exist from agencies like SpaceX to send expeditions out to Mars. These projects are often coupled with support from public agencies, like NASA and the ESA. May notes that its seems the two nations; Russia and China, currently have the greatest possibility of successfully manned missions. Both nations have had multiple manned missions within the last decade - mostly experimental orbital and technological tests, but more than NASA has had in many years. NASA's current trend is risk averse; after some catastrophic events in previous decades, NASA has begun to plan farther ahead for their missions, focusing on technological perfection and crew safety, both certainly good ideas. This is however, disappointing to many who wish for a more rapid mission to Mars.
May looks at topography on Mars, ideas for short term and longer term human habitation, as well as the trip itself. Currently the most efficient way to travel to Mars utilizes a ships orbit with the Sun. A more direct route, although quicker, is more difficult to calculate, and requires technology that is only in the conceptual phase so far. From a habitation standpoint, it is currently feasible that crops may be grown in Martian soil in climate controlled greenhouses, or using hydroponics - currently in use on the ISS to grow lettuce. Mars has plentiful water resources frozen into the ground, so drinking water may not be an issue, besides its access and processing for human consumption - all within technological possibilities. It seems, however, that all future planned missions are currently utilizing robots. Plans exist for a new rover to be sent within the next few years, as well as proposed tests for a glider like robot. These robotic expeditions are being sent to test various needs to ensure manned expeditions are successful.
All in all, a very basic but interesting book on Mars and possible future missions. Good information for those not fully immersed in this topic (like me!) Certainly recommended for those looking for a good introductory book on Martian exploration.
May examines the current possibilities that exist for space agencies to travel to Mars. Both private corporations and public agencies have become increasingly interested. Currently, projects exist from agencies like SpaceX to send expeditions out to Mars. These projects are often coupled with support from public agencies, like NASA and the ESA. May notes that its seems the two nations; Russia and China, currently have the greatest possibility of successfully manned missions. Both nations have had multiple manned missions within the last decade - mostly experimental orbital and technological tests, but more than NASA has had in many years. NASA's current trend is risk averse; after some catastrophic events in previous decades, NASA has begun to plan farther ahead for their missions, focusing on technological perfection and crew safety, both certainly good ideas. This is however, disappointing to many who wish for a more rapid mission to Mars.
May looks at topography on Mars, ideas for short term and longer term human habitation, as well as the trip itself. Currently the most efficient way to travel to Mars utilizes a ships orbit with the Sun. A more direct route, although quicker, is more difficult to calculate, and requires technology that is only in the conceptual phase so far. From a habitation standpoint, it is currently feasible that crops may be grown in Martian soil in climate controlled greenhouses, or using hydroponics - currently in use on the ISS to grow lettuce. Mars has plentiful water resources frozen into the ground, so drinking water may not be an issue, besides its access and processing for human consumption - all within technological possibilities. It seems, however, that all future planned missions are currently utilizing robots. Plans exist for a new rover to be sent within the next few years, as well as proposed tests for a glider like robot. These robotic expeditions are being sent to test various needs to ensure manned expeditions are successful.
All in all, a very basic but interesting book on Mars and possible future missions. Good information for those not fully immersed in this topic (like me!) Certainly recommended for those looking for a good introductory book on Martian exploration.
July 7, 2017
There's something special about Mars. It's partly the way that it introduced interplanetary travel and SF aliens to so many through fiction such as War of the Worlds, but also it looks so distinctive to the naked eye - and it presents us with our best hope of a new Star Trek-like frontier in our home solar system.
Andrew May makes effective use of the novel/film The Martian to pull us into the story of Mars and expeditions to it. Weir's book is both engaging fiction and superbly researched, making an excellent teaser for what is to come. Throughout Destination Mars, May ensures that we get a balance between the astronomy, the practicalities of such a distant voyage - particularly if people are to be involved - and the stories. So, for example, there are plenty of references to both science fiction and some of the more dramatic occurrences in the many ill-fated attempts to get probes to Mars.
Although the book does cover the planet in an astronomical sense and the many unmanned probes and rovers (with all too many suffering disasters), its prime focus is the most exciting bit - the aim of getting human beings to Mars, and the possibility of setting up a long-term colony there. May does not underplay the difficulties here. This is no over-optimistic brochure for a Mars venture. But he does also look for solutions to the many problems and gives us an upbeat picture of the possibilities.
If I have a criticism, it is that the book comes across as a bit an engineer's vision of the challenge of getting to Mars. May is an astrophysicist by training, but sometimes he gives us a bit too much systematic working through possibilities and probes for me, where perhaps fewer examples explored in more depth, leaving the complete details to an appendix, might have been better. But, having said that, we soon get back to something that's more inspiring.
This isn't an in-depth book - it's part of a series of short 'Hot Science' books - but it seems to have just the right amount of content to capture the imagination and spur the interest of the reader in the dramatic possibilities of a venture to a closest cousin of a planet in the solar system. It would work well for a younger reader with an enthusiasm for space or for adults who look back fondly on the Apollo missions and hope for more real space exploration in the future.
Andrew May makes effective use of the novel/film The Martian to pull us into the story of Mars and expeditions to it. Weir's book is both engaging fiction and superbly researched, making an excellent teaser for what is to come. Throughout Destination Mars, May ensures that we get a balance between the astronomy, the practicalities of such a distant voyage - particularly if people are to be involved - and the stories. So, for example, there are plenty of references to both science fiction and some of the more dramatic occurrences in the many ill-fated attempts to get probes to Mars.
Although the book does cover the planet in an astronomical sense and the many unmanned probes and rovers (with all too many suffering disasters), its prime focus is the most exciting bit - the aim of getting human beings to Mars, and the possibility of setting up a long-term colony there. May does not underplay the difficulties here. This is no over-optimistic brochure for a Mars venture. But he does also look for solutions to the many problems and gives us an upbeat picture of the possibilities.
If I have a criticism, it is that the book comes across as a bit an engineer's vision of the challenge of getting to Mars. May is an astrophysicist by training, but sometimes he gives us a bit too much systematic working through possibilities and probes for me, where perhaps fewer examples explored in more depth, leaving the complete details to an appendix, might have been better. But, having said that, we soon get back to something that's more inspiring.
This isn't an in-depth book - it's part of a series of short 'Hot Science' books - but it seems to have just the right amount of content to capture the imagination and spur the interest of the reader in the dramatic possibilities of a venture to a closest cousin of a planet in the solar system. It would work well for a younger reader with an enthusiasm for space or for adults who look back fondly on the Apollo missions and hope for more real space exploration in the future.
December 12, 2017
A good introduction to the state of affairs in Mars exploration. It is exactly what the tagline says it is - 'The Story of Our Quest to Conquer the Red Planet'. A well-written and light chronicle of our martian efforts and ambitions. I was hoping that the book would go into greater technical depth, but it is obvious that it would not do so given its target audience and length.
February 25, 2020
Only three years out-of-date, but still very relevant. The history is, of course, still the same, and the big players are still as they were three years ago: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezoz and NASA. Not much of note has happened since then: a few more launches - some successful and some not. We're closer to landing on Mars in terms of the technology, but no closer in terms of ... erm .... well, we still haven't landed there. Still haven't set off, in fact.
I really enjoyed reading this little volume. It didn't really tell me much that I didn't already know, but what I did learn was enough to warrant to read. Plus, the book puts it all nicely together on one time-line. Whoever wrote this writes well. There's a lovely positive vibe to it all. Makes me feel more strongly that we really are going to get to Mars and set up a colony that's take at least a few eggs out of the same, Earth-bound basket. It's always good to have a back-up plan; just in case.
There are references throughout this book to various science-fiction novels about travelling to, terraforming and colonising Mars, which gets it a big thumbs-up from me. One notable omission is the Mars Kim Stanley Robinson, that "chronicles the settlement and terraforming of the planet Mars through the personal and detailed viewpoints of a wide variety of characters spanning almost two centuries" (Wikipedia), but the books that are included constitute a nice little cross-section.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in the future of the human race. Of course, if you're not interested, then there's nothing I can do about it. But you'd be missing out on a treat if you didn't at least give it a shot. Who knows, you might be on your way to Mars if the future works out that way. Not likely; but you never know. And if you are, you'll at least want to know what to expect.
I really enjoyed reading this little volume. It didn't really tell me much that I didn't already know, but what I did learn was enough to warrant to read. Plus, the book puts it all nicely together on one time-line. Whoever wrote this writes well. There's a lovely positive vibe to it all. Makes me feel more strongly that we really are going to get to Mars and set up a colony that's take at least a few eggs out of the same, Earth-bound basket. It's always good to have a back-up plan; just in case.
There are references throughout this book to various science-fiction novels about travelling to, terraforming and colonising Mars, which gets it a big thumbs-up from me. One notable omission is the Mars Kim Stanley Robinson, that "chronicles the settlement and terraforming of the planet Mars through the personal and detailed viewpoints of a wide variety of characters spanning almost two centuries" (Wikipedia), but the books that are included constitute a nice little cross-section.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in the future of the human race. Of course, if you're not interested, then there's nothing I can do about it. But you'd be missing out on a treat if you didn't at least give it a shot. Who knows, you might be on your way to Mars if the future works out that way. Not likely; but you never know. And if you are, you'll at least want to know what to expect.
April 12, 2021
‘Mars Fever’ as explained in this book, is definitely making a come back and Mars, holding our hopes for interplanetary travel and colonisation is an important topic of today.
This book was a great foundation in all things Mars, going back through its history, notable figures in rocket science and space travel as well as where we’re projected to be in terms of going to Mars.
It was a nice, succinct and very informative book, written in a way that was easy to read and gives you a nice coverage of the story of our quest to conquer the red planet. From early history, the logistics and limitations of travelling to space, the current direction of the mission to Mars, public - private partnerships (with Space X for example) and just what a colony on Mars would look it. Is it feasible? What are our plans? How would we get to Mars and what are the estimates timeframes for such a feat? All explained in this book - so if you’re tickled into interest, this is certainly the book to start your endeavour into Mars reading.
This book was a great foundation in all things Mars, going back through its history, notable figures in rocket science and space travel as well as where we’re projected to be in terms of going to Mars.
It was a nice, succinct and very informative book, written in a way that was easy to read and gives you a nice coverage of the story of our quest to conquer the red planet. From early history, the logistics and limitations of travelling to space, the current direction of the mission to Mars, public - private partnerships (with Space X for example) and just what a colony on Mars would look it. Is it feasible? What are our plans? How would we get to Mars and what are the estimates timeframes for such a feat? All explained in this book - so if you’re tickled into interest, this is certainly the book to start your endeavour into Mars reading.
October 20, 2018
A concise, well-written introduction to the challenges of visiting Mars. The best out there, in my opinion.
June 18, 2020
Fascinating subject
Would love to go there
Would love to go there
April 1, 2025
Real rating 3.75 stars. This book was very interesting but it was too much info in one place at a time and not enough pictures for me 😔
September 13, 2018
In this book we are taken from the craze at the end of the 1800s to WWII and to the space exploration of the last sixty years or so. It is a short and exciting story which we will hear much more about in the years to come.
"There is every reason to think that in the coming years Mars and its mysteries will become increasingly familiar to the inhabitants of the Planet Earth."
- Carl Sagan
The first Mars craze started at the end of the 1800s when italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli published drawings of canals. This halfway mistranslation led to some really good scifi stories like The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Which, according to Wikipedia, later inspired Robert H Goddard to come up with several crucial inventions for space exploration.
Turns out that Wernher Von Braun, one of the scientists that built the German V2-rockets, was recruited by the US after WWII. He helped develop the Saturn V which was the largest rockets the world has ever seen. They carried the Apollo-missions into space and therefore helped se man on the moon.
Who says a killing each other with massive weapons isn't good for anything?
Not long ago Elon Musk and his company SpaceX sent a Tesla and a spacesuit up into space. It was an amazing achievement. It was not so much sending vehicles into space, NASA (and others) have been doing that for more than half a century. The accomplishment was doing this with reusable rockets. Until now space flight has been rather wasteful and discarding the rockets every time something has been launched. Either by burning them as they reenter the atmosphere or by simply dumping them in the sea.
One of the latest fictional stories about Mars exploration to make it big was The Martian written by Andy Weir. It was made into a blockbuster movie starring Matt Damon. yup, the guy who always needs to get rescued. If you liked the film you will definetely love the book. I am pretty sure that stories like that will inspire the kids today to become tomorrows space explorers. Heck... even I became a member of the local astronomy club because of The Martian.
If you want to know more about the history of space exploration or about the plans to send humans to Mars this is a good book to start with. I knew about a few of the landers and vehicles on Mars, but there had been many many more missions to Mars than I was aware of. Wikipedia has a list of about 50 missions! Not all of them gets covered in the book, but many of them do.
For those of you who wants to dive into the fictional stories about Mars there is quite the collection here.
EDIT: Just the other day Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will put people on Mars by 2019. Mind you this was just a few days before the Russian election, which Mr Putin won by a landslide. If they make it they will be there years before both NASA and SpaceX. We sure live in exciting times!
"Mars is there. Waiting to be reached."
- Buzz Aldrin
"There is every reason to think that in the coming years Mars and its mysteries will become increasingly familiar to the inhabitants of the Planet Earth."
- Carl Sagan
The first Mars craze started at the end of the 1800s when italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli published drawings of canals. This halfway mistranslation led to some really good scifi stories like The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Which, according to Wikipedia, later inspired Robert H Goddard to come up with several crucial inventions for space exploration.
Turns out that Wernher Von Braun, one of the scientists that built the German V2-rockets, was recruited by the US after WWII. He helped develop the Saturn V which was the largest rockets the world has ever seen. They carried the Apollo-missions into space and therefore helped se man on the moon.
Who says a killing each other with massive weapons isn't good for anything?
Not long ago Elon Musk and his company SpaceX sent a Tesla and a spacesuit up into space. It was an amazing achievement. It was not so much sending vehicles into space, NASA (and others) have been doing that for more than half a century. The accomplishment was doing this with reusable rockets. Until now space flight has been rather wasteful and discarding the rockets every time something has been launched. Either by burning them as they reenter the atmosphere or by simply dumping them in the sea.
One of the latest fictional stories about Mars exploration to make it big was The Martian written by Andy Weir. It was made into a blockbuster movie starring Matt Damon. yup, the guy who always needs to get rescued. If you liked the film you will definetely love the book. I am pretty sure that stories like that will inspire the kids today to become tomorrows space explorers. Heck... even I became a member of the local astronomy club because of The Martian.
If you want to know more about the history of space exploration or about the plans to send humans to Mars this is a good book to start with. I knew about a few of the landers and vehicles on Mars, but there had been many many more missions to Mars than I was aware of. Wikipedia has a list of about 50 missions! Not all of them gets covered in the book, but many of them do.
For those of you who wants to dive into the fictional stories about Mars there is quite the collection here.
EDIT: Just the other day Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will put people on Mars by 2019. Mind you this was just a few days before the Russian election, which Mr Putin won by a landslide. If they make it they will be there years before both NASA and SpaceX. We sure live in exciting times!
"Mars is there. Waiting to be reached."
- Buzz Aldrin
August 11, 2017
Mars fascinates me. I have always loved reading science fiction about the planet and have eagerly followed the various expeditions to explore this world. So I was especially pleased when I received a copy of Destination Mars by Andrew May to review.
Destination Mars is a fascinating history of Mankind’s obsession with the red planet. It describes our attempts to explore Mars and discusses the possibility of colonising this world in an easy and accessible way. Andrew May goes into just enough technical detail to not be overwhelming, but wets the appetite for those who want to know more, as well as providing a useful history of the successes, and failures, in our attempts so far to learn more about this world.
I really liked the way the books kept referring back to the science fiction written about Mars to illustrate how our understanding of this planet has changed over the years. The use of references to The Martian by Andy Weir, to help explain many of the challenges that will be faced if we chose to colonise this planet was particularly effective.
All in all Destination Mars is a very concise and informative introduction to the subject which would appeal particularly to anyone who has read the science fiction and would like to know a bit more about the science fact.
Strongly recommended.
Destination Mars is a fascinating history of Mankind’s obsession with the red planet. It describes our attempts to explore Mars and discusses the possibility of colonising this world in an easy and accessible way. Andrew May goes into just enough technical detail to not be overwhelming, but wets the appetite for those who want to know more, as well as providing a useful history of the successes, and failures, in our attempts so far to learn more about this world.
I really liked the way the books kept referring back to the science fiction written about Mars to illustrate how our understanding of this planet has changed over the years. The use of references to The Martian by Andy Weir, to help explain many of the challenges that will be faced if we chose to colonise this planet was particularly effective.
All in all Destination Mars is a very concise and informative introduction to the subject which would appeal particularly to anyone who has read the science fiction and would like to know a bit more about the science fact.
Strongly recommended.
January 31, 2023
So … how will we actually get to Mars? How will we live there? This book explores stuff like this, in a way that is both full of fascinating details and accessible enough to allow a non-scientist like me to actually understand the physics of space travel and propulsion — no easy feat. It’s short and covers a lot of ground, plus it’s slightly outdated in 2023, since many of the events predicted or speculated about have now happened. May also includes a cursory review of space travel until now, which is somewhat unnecessary, though he did it to draw a distinction between the motives today vs in the Apollo/Soyuz era. I only wish I were younger — there’s a pretty decent chance I won’t live long enough to see what happens and I’ll miss the adventure if it happens after I’m gone. For now, it’s an amazing story, beautifully told here and worth the time of anyone who is interested in space travel … or, for that matter, the future of the human race. One caveat — at the time the book was written Elon Musk was a celebrated visionary, whereas today many (raises his hand) view him as just about everything that’s wrong with modern capitalism. He is treated with near reverence here and it made me want to take a shower after a while. If you have no issues with Musk, you won’t even notice, but I confess that it did bother me.
Grade: A-
Grade: A-
May 14, 2023
"Destination Mars: The Story of Our Quest to Conquer the Red Planet" by Andrew May is an informative and engaging book that explores the history of Mars exploration and the potential for future missions. Andrew May takes the reader on a journey through the history of space exploration, from the Apollo missions to the Mars rovers, and speculates on the possible future of Mars missions, including the potential for permanent colonization.
Andrew May's writing style is clear and concise, making the book accessible to readers of all levels of knowledge on the subject. He provides a wealth of information on the history of Mars exploration, including the challenges and successes of past missions, and the technological advancements that have made current and future missions possible.
One of the strengths of the book is May's ability to balance scientific information with engaging storytelling. He provides a human element to the story of Mars exploration, highlighting the people behind the missions and their motivations for exploring the Red Planet.
Overall, "Destination Mars" is an excellent book for anyone interested in space exploration, Mars, or science in general. It is well-researched, engaging, and informative, and provides a comprehensive overview of the history of Mars exploration and the potential for future missions.
Andrew May's writing style is clear and concise, making the book accessible to readers of all levels of knowledge on the subject. He provides a wealth of information on the history of Mars exploration, including the challenges and successes of past missions, and the technological advancements that have made current and future missions possible.
One of the strengths of the book is May's ability to balance scientific information with engaging storytelling. He provides a human element to the story of Mars exploration, highlighting the people behind the missions and their motivations for exploring the Red Planet.
Overall, "Destination Mars" is an excellent book for anyone interested in space exploration, Mars, or science in general. It is well-researched, engaging, and informative, and provides a comprehensive overview of the history of Mars exploration and the potential for future missions.
April 13, 2021
The book was a very concise and interesting look at the short history of the space programme, all the way to the latest Mars explorations (2017).
I enjoyed how the author interlaced scientific facts with several references to sci-fi authors like Asimov and Clarke, and the references to their scifi novels, describing either space travel or Mars itself.
It was also interesting to know, that a lot of brilliant minds went into developing the exploration of space, the moon and Mars. And also with the current problems, funding got diverted from the space programmes and how this will eventually cause the delay. And it was also interesting to know, that because of 1 fire, NASA started a stringent risk assessment/management/evaluation programme, that can be used to manage risk, not just then, but even today, risk assessment is an important and integral part of any company's plans to do anything.
The author also mentioned that Trump gave a speech near the Kennedy Space Centre about supporting the space programme, which he hoped will bear fruit. We all know how that turned out!
Highly recommended to all who are interested in our history and journey towards the stars, and beyond.
I enjoyed how the author interlaced scientific facts with several references to sci-fi authors like Asimov and Clarke, and the references to their scifi novels, describing either space travel or Mars itself.
It was also interesting to know, that a lot of brilliant minds went into developing the exploration of space, the moon and Mars. And also with the current problems, funding got diverted from the space programmes and how this will eventually cause the delay. And it was also interesting to know, that because of 1 fire, NASA started a stringent risk assessment/management/evaluation programme, that can be used to manage risk, not just then, but even today, risk assessment is an important and integral part of any company's plans to do anything.
The author also mentioned that Trump gave a speech near the Kennedy Space Centre about supporting the space programme, which he hoped will bear fruit. We all know how that turned out!
Highly recommended to all who are interested in our history and journey towards the stars, and beyond.
March 28, 2021
This is a thin and casual little book.
Quite interesting and fun.
It's a nice overview of the Mars journey so far for the layman, with history and challenges that await.
It is not comprehensive in any way, but that plays to it's strengths I believe.
About as informative as a quality Youtube "documentary" style popular science videos of 45-60mins length.
Lot of interesting and well presented info, but not as technical to become boring.
Quite interesting and fun.
It's a nice overview of the Mars journey so far for the layman, with history and challenges that await.
It is not comprehensive in any way, but that plays to it's strengths I believe.
About as informative as a quality Youtube "documentary" style popular science videos of 45-60mins length.
Lot of interesting and well presented info, but not as technical to become boring.
January 30, 2022
Finally finished this...was planning to finish this last week but just had to take a 4-hour nap.
Great short read...about the mars fever and how it was taken into consideration before the space race.
this also answers the questions about the logistics of mars travels with different agencies and different ideologies.
did get to know quite a few facts which I didn't know
also this reminds me of the amazon prime show "The expanse" and i dont know if thats a great sign
anyways loved the book
Great short read...about the mars fever and how it was taken into consideration before the space race.
this also answers the questions about the logistics of mars travels with different agencies and different ideologies.
did get to know quite a few facts which I didn't know
also this reminds me of the amazon prime show "The expanse" and i dont know if thats a great sign
anyways loved the book
July 24, 2022
This was fun to listen to. It is already a bit outdated despite not being that old. For example, I remember him saying that the US does not have the capability of putting people into space. Of course, Space X has sent men to the ISS recently. There were a couple other things that were outdated but I can't remember now. It wouldn't stop me from recommending it to a space fan.
May 1, 2019
This book is more about understanding the socio-political drives in and the need to rethink Mars exploration than on the science of landing on Mars. I bought it thinking it would be an example of the latter. However, it was a fun, insightful, quick and pleasant read.
July 22, 2019
The book is very well structured and can easily provide an understanding even to less tech knowledgeable readers. I really enjoyed the book as it really starts from ground 0 and builds up slowly. Great read, finished the book in 1 day
January 5, 2022
This was a great primer for the current status on the journey to mars. It was neat to get the perspective on the different avenues of attack on the problem from the different companies and space agencies. It was really fun as this is very much and ongoing quest.
October 1, 2024
Esmu diezgan droša, ka šī grāmata man būtu patikusi uz visām 5*, ja būtu to lasījusi uz papīra, nevis klausījusies. Bija tomēr sajūta, ka šis tas aizskrien gar ausi. Varbūt kādreiz jātiek pie taustāma eksemplāra un jāpārlasa, jo bija interesanti.
October 10, 2018
This is the easiest review I've written, brilliant book.
Easy read nothing to heavy within the science , very interesting history and exciting times ahead :)
Easy read nothing to heavy within the science , very interesting history and exciting times ahead :)
December 22, 2018
*2.75 stars?!
Interesting, but dates very quickly. I guess that’s a given with something like space exploration that is evolving so fast. Read kind of like a very long New Scientist article.
Interesting, but dates very quickly. I guess that’s a given with something like space exploration that is evolving so fast. Read kind of like a very long New Scientist article.
January 6, 2021
Amazing book, loved every page.
June 25, 2021
Very good covering the new space race, less so with regard to our historical fascination with Mars.
May 6, 2021
4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews