On to Mars: Colonizing a New World with CDROM [Paperback]

Why is Mars the ideal goal for the space program? How will we get there, and how will we sustain ourselves once we make it? How can Mars even become a new, second home for humanity? This collection of essays offers to answer such questions as these, with dozens of contributions from a host of writers - of which I am one, so you know my bias. Although the best of them are NASA scientists, the only qualification in common among them all is enthusiasm. Sample article titles include, "Space Tourism After Dennis Tito," "The Long Range Mars Rover," and "Interstellar Panspermia Reconsidered: Implications for the Search for Life on Mars." The essays were selected from presentations given at three years' worth of meetings of the Mars Society. Taken together, the scope of this work provides worthwhile evidence of the drive and confidence in a bold human future in space, worthy to follow up on the glory days of Apollo, and offers a thought-provoking tour of the future, well-suited to invite further debate and discussion.

I got an autographed copy from Mars Society president Dr. Robert Zubrin as a small "incentive" for paying for a life membership to the Mars Society. I'm so glad I became a member.

I'm about 95% done reading the book. Its a slow reading book as I have had the book 1 3/4 years. I only read a submitted paper to the Mars Society when I have spare extra time, like when its raining etc.

The papers were all OK. None lower than 3 stars and some 5 stars. I wanted this book to get up to speed on some papers submitted by members of the Mars Society.

I liked the paper of M.A.R.S, 2 The Mars Society Advanced Research Station by Hannes S. Giebeli, and Sven Knuth ...5 stars. Also A Modular Construction System For A Martian Manned Base by Georgi Gaviraghi was good...5 stars. Page 139 A Study of Mars Global Surveyor...Images of Probable Water Seepages by Efrain Palermo and Harry Moore was super great...5 stars. Of course page 179 The Case for Terraforming Mars by Robert Zubrin was super... also 5 stars.

Also the papers showing the early education of our children to develop an interest in Mars and the need for high education with lots of math and science was spot on! I even found the papers written by high school students competing for the Hakluyt award interesting.

Combined the papers were 3 1/2 stars, again none lower than a 3 star. The DVD bonus DVD was super!

It took me twice to download the required Apple Quickview plug in and the installation/run three times. It took me an extra 10 minutes to get the first video going showing the beginning construction of the Mars Society Hab on Devon Island in isolated northern Canada to have as near to Mars conditions as can be found on Earth. We see the difficulties the group has getting parachute drops by the military for supplies and hab compartment building equipment. We see the crane needed to erect the hab dropped and the parachute not opening and it getting smashed. In the second movie we see the hard work the workers had to do to get the hab constructed. Also the talks by a NASA woman who used the Hab about the need for the HAB to gain experience in everyday Mars operation like putting on spacesuits, depressurizing and hundreds of other operations. All take practice and we see the unknown obstacles that come up. We see one of my favorite sci fi authors Kim Stanley Robinson, the author of his three book epic on Mars colonization and terraforming Red, Green, and Blue Mars, saying the need to go to Mars.

Even with the annoying total 15 minutes of extra setup to get the DVD to work with my MS Vista laptop, it was well worth it. The DVD was 5 stars for the 2 movies plus there was 60 more papers to read.

Give yourself a LOT of time to savor and get as much info out of this book and DVD. Book 3 1/2 stars. DVD 5 stars for a total 4 star package. Even though I didn't have to directly pay for the book, the used price for a copy is worth it. If you are a Mars Society member who wants to get up to speed on some of the older papers submitted or just interested in the 2 DVD movies describing the Hab, the need to go to Mars and the Mars Society research station on Devon Island in far isolated Canada, you will enjoy this book.

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see both reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars