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 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 with illustrations, photographs and 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 ressources; how we can build bases and settlements; and how we can one day "terraform" Mars - a process that can alter the atmosphere po planets and pave the way for sustainable life.

Formerly a senior engineer at Lockheed Martin, Robet Zubrin is fonder of Pioneer Astronautics, a space-exploration research and development firm. President of the Mars Society, Dr Zubrin lives with his family in Indian Hills, Colorado. Richard Wagner is the former editor of Ad Astra, the journal of the National Space Society. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

"Bob Zubrin really, nearly alone, changed our thinking on this issue"
Carl Sagan, The Denver Post.

"In this thoughtful, thorough and inspiring book … [Zubrin] systematically and convincingly destroys the conventional wisdom about Mars travel."
Michael D. Lemonick, Newsday.