Gorgeously 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.
This awe-inspiring book features:
- An engaging and complete history of Mars exploration
- A treasure trove of imagery from the NASA archives, including
photos and cartography beamed home, artworks and concept drawings
created during development phases, as well as photography created to
document testing phases
- A glimpse of future plans for Mars exploration and habitation
- Coverage of orbiters sent to the red planet by not only NASA but
by space agencies from Russia, India, Japan, Europe, China, and the
UAE
- A two-sided 24-inch gatefold
Humankind's fascination with Mars can be traced back to prewar science
fiction. While the billions of dollars and ingenious innovations have
allowed us incredible views from more than 51 million miles away, no
less incredible are the insights these missions, hardware, and
scientists have provided into our universe--and our own planet. NASA
Missions to Mars is your complete illustrated history of those efforts
and a necessary volume for the bookshelf of any space enthusiast!
