Call number
Publication
New York: Touchstone, 1997, c1996
Pages
xxi; 344
Description
Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream-the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions. It explains step-by-step how we can use present-day technology to send humans to Mars within ten years; actually produce fuel and oxygen on the planet's surface with Martian natural resources; how we can build bases and settlements; and how we can one day "terraform" Mars-a process that can alter the atmosphere of planets and pave the way for sustainable life.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1996
Physical description
xxi, 344 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
9780684835501
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
Robert Zubrin outlines, in great detail, how a manned mission to Mars could be achieved within a decade, for less money than is generally assumed, if only we were willing to thoroughly commit to doing it. His plan involves a launch directly from Earth to Mars (with no expensive orbital construction
Zubrin also looks a bit further afield, talking about a plan for permanent Martian settlements and even the prospect of terraforming Mars. These chapters are a lot more speculative and rather less convincing, but they are interesting possibilities, and also feature lots of carefully thought-out specifics. In fact, some of the details here can get pretty dry -- I admit to sort of skimming some of the bits about the chemistry of fuel and plastics manufacturing on Mars -- but you don't necessarily have to be a rocket scientist to understand the basics of his arguments.
Of course, that "if only we were willing to thoroughly commit" is one great big "if," and I can't say I'm feeling much in the way of optimism. If anything, the goal seems further away now than it did in 1996, when the first edition of this books was published. Alas.
Show More
or stepping-stone bases on the moon), using Mars' natural resources to synthesize fuel and other necessities, and an extended stay on the surface to get some real science done. He's put lot of thought into every aspect of the endeavor, from launch vehicles to orbital trajectories to crew habitats to scientific objectives, and his scheme seems extremely plausible. Zubrin also looks a bit further afield, talking about a plan for permanent Martian settlements and even the prospect of terraforming Mars. These chapters are a lot more speculative and rather less convincing, but they are interesting possibilities, and also feature lots of carefully thought-out specifics. In fact, some of the details here can get pretty dry -- I admit to sort of skimming some of the bits about the chemistry of fuel and plastics manufacturing on Mars -- but you don't necessarily have to be a rocket scientist to understand the basics of his arguments.
Of course, that "if only we were willing to thoroughly commit" is one great big "if," and I can't say I'm feeling much in the way of optimism. If anything, the goal seems further away now than it did in 1996, when the first edition of this books was published. Alas.
Show Less
LibraryThing member gopfolk
I'm sold
I'm saddened to say that in the 12 years since this book was published we are no further along to the vision set out here in these pages.
We have turned our government into one which would rather micromanage our lives than set forth a vision for all of humanity.
While the book is slightly
The authors lay out not only the benefit to society but the cost...in a detailed (nearly line-by-line) description of what a manned mission to Mars would cost if the government ran it and what it could cost on a shoestring budget.
Simply a WOW factor. I'm sold.
I'm saddened to say that in the 12 years since this book was published we are no further along to the vision set out here in these pages.
We have turned our government into one which would rather micromanage our lives than set forth a vision for all of humanity.
While the book is slightly
Show More
technical in nature any amateur interested in space exploration can pick this book up and understand the implications...it would even be easy to skip some of the tech stuff and read the meat of the book. The authors lay out not only the benefit to society but the cost...in a detailed (nearly line-by-line) description of what a manned mission to Mars would cost if the government ran it and what it could cost on a shoestring budget.
Simply a WOW factor. I'm sold.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Babbler
A good review of Zurbin's Mars Direct plan. Easy to read and understand, and the author's enthusiasm comes thorough. A few readers may be irritated by some of his imperative for the settlement of Mars.
LibraryThing member RobertP
This book - by a space scientist with some standing - describes a relatively affordable way to get astronauts to Mars. He makes a good case for why and for how. There is some engineering required, but isn't there always. He leaves one pretty convinced his proposed approach to reaching Mars will
The downfall of the book is the dreadfully earnest tone - Mr. Zubrin is forever hammering away intensely at why such and such a way to do things is the absolutely the best, and without showing relative advantages and disadvantages of other options, and completely without humour.
He probably should have steered away from future technology and from terraforming. He hung a lot on high temperature super conductors, which did not pan out. His discussion of terraforming, apparently so simple, contained at least one clanger that I - a complete non-scientist - noted: thickening the atmosphere with more CO2 will lead to surface water formation which will lead to water leaching CO2 from the atmosphere, a negative feedback loop interfering with all the happy positive feedback loops he describes.
The book is worth reading.
Show More
work.The downfall of the book is the dreadfully earnest tone - Mr. Zubrin is forever hammering away intensely at why such and such a way to do things is the absolutely the best, and without showing relative advantages and disadvantages of other options, and completely without humour.
He probably should have steered away from future technology and from terraforming. He hung a lot on high temperature super conductors, which did not pan out. His discussion of terraforming, apparently so simple, contained at least one clanger that I - a complete non-scientist - noted: thickening the atmosphere with more CO2 will lead to surface water formation which will lead to water leaching CO2 from the atmosphere, a negative feedback loop interfering with all the happy positive feedback loops he describes.
The book is worth reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member elavram
Very interesting solution to the problem of safely send humans to mars
LibraryThing member pjsullivan
The Red Planet fascinates me but I am convinced that humans will never settle it. It will always be beyond the range of human habitability. The zero gravity, the cosmic radiation, the dust storms, the hostile climate, the thinness of the atmosphere, the absence of liquid water, the human factors,
The terraforming of Mars would be accomplished by artificially-induced global warming. Even if that could be done successfully within a reasonable time, what would prevent it from eventually getting out of control? Might as well stay on Earth!
The title of this book betrays the author’s bias. He wants to do this. His book is an advertisement for Mars colonization, an appeal for the funding it would require. Thus he has a vested interest in minimizing the difficulties. His talk about “living off the land like Lewis and Clark” is unrealistic. His attitude is expansionist and strongly pro-technology. He thinks stagnation is the only alternative to perpetual expansion into new frontiers. He thinks technology is progress. But expansionism and technology can and do create serious problems. It is not our manifest destiny to colonize the planets. A society that lives within reasonable limits is not to be disparaged as a “closed society.”
This book is about the Red Planet; it is more about engineering and technology. If you decide to read it, get the latest edition because this is a moving topic.
Show More
etc., would require superhuman technological and human adaptations. It will never be profitable or cost effective. This book offers solutions, mostly hi-tech and very expensive. Despite its optimism that Mars can be terraformed, it convinced me that it will never be worth the cost to do so, even if the formidable engineering problems can be solved. This book assumes that the Earth will always be available to support Mars missions, but the Earth itself is teetering on collapse.The terraforming of Mars would be accomplished by artificially-induced global warming. Even if that could be done successfully within a reasonable time, what would prevent it from eventually getting out of control? Might as well stay on Earth!
The title of this book betrays the author’s bias. He wants to do this. His book is an advertisement for Mars colonization, an appeal for the funding it would require. Thus he has a vested interest in minimizing the difficulties. His talk about “living off the land like Lewis and Clark” is unrealistic. His attitude is expansionist and strongly pro-technology. He thinks stagnation is the only alternative to perpetual expansion into new frontiers. He thinks technology is progress. But expansionism and technology can and do create serious problems. It is not our manifest destiny to colonize the planets. A society that lives within reasonable limits is not to be disparaged as a “closed society.”
This book is about the Red Planet; it is more about engineering and technology. If you decide to read it, get the latest edition because this is a moving topic.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jzacsh
Not a thrilling book I'd recommend to just anyone, exactly. But still a great book if you're interested in space, space agencies' complexities, how politics play a part, and you're not afraid of science words :P
LibraryThing member kylecarroll
DNF @ 27% Robert Zubrin sure is full of himself.
This entire book is just one long proposal for HIS mission, Mars Direct, and why it’s the only one that will work. He explains all of the current propositions and mission plans and you start thinking “Oh, that’s pretty neat, I can definitly see
This entire book is just one long proposal for HIS mission, Mars Direct, and why it’s the only one that will work. He explains all of the current propositions and mission plans and you start thinking “Oh, that’s pretty neat, I can definitly see
Show More
that”. But then he goes, “But those will never work, and here’s why. My mission is the only way we can do it.” And in the various charts and graphcs he uses to prove his point, he essentially compares apples and oranges to make his apples more appealing. Show Less
LibraryThing member adastra
This book was so boring that I stopped about about 3 chapters