A timely exploration of dramatic images of the Red Planet.

Because of its proximity and fiery appearance, no other planet in our solar system has so fantastically captured our imagination like Mars. There, scientists hope to find answers to many questions about the origins of life. In fact, NASA regards Mars as the prime objective for space exploration in the twenty-first century.

Destination Mars recounts the history of the timeless fascination we have had with the Red Planet. The book summarizes the discoveries made by the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, as well as contemporary astronomers.

Destination Mars covers the planet's past, present and future with such topics as:

• Discovering Mars
• Writers such as H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burrough and Gene Roddenberry and filmmakers Stanley Kubrick, Brian De Palma and Ridley Scott
• Life on Mars
• Objective Mars
• Travelling to Mars
• The future of Mars.

Also covered are the current preparations of the first manned voyage to Mars planned to launch in 2015. Using fresh perspectives based on actual scientific applications and dramatic images captured by telescopes and probes, the book describes the various strategies for installing a base and developing a permanent colony there.