Mars on Earth (Hardcover)

~ Robert Zubrin (Author) "The Earth is not the only world..." (more)
Key Phrases: pressurized rover, dome section, surface robots, Mars Society, Devon Island, Flashline Station (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-If the space program had not been aborted after the Moon landings, we could have gone to Mars as early as 1981. In this inspiring account of human ingenuity and determination, "children and grandchildren of Apollo" set out to put humans back on the path to space-not through political action, but by "[launching] a science project." Zubrin shares the inside story of the formation of the Mars Society and the pursuit of its ambitious goal. His passion for the project creates a sense of immediacy and draws readers in as he relates how the group chose Earth locations to serve as Mars analogs, built habitats there, and carried out experiments that tested the performance of equipment and people in Mars-like conditions. These "sims" yielded many unexpected and often fascinating insights into mission technologies, exploration tactics, and "human-factors design," preparing the way for actual missions. Zubrin explains the science and describes the people with humor and enthusiasm, revealing warts, setbacks, and successes. Diagrams and excellent color photographs help readers to visualize key individuals, equipment, and events. After the Arctic station was established, two more independently funded Mars analog stations were created, in the Utah desert and in Iceland, where volunteers continue to explore "Mars on Earth"; students can follow their adventures on the Web. Those still asking, "Isn't a Mars expedition too expensive/dangerous/irrelevant?" or "Why do we need to look for life/do this when we have problems at home/send people when we can send robots instead?" will find stimulating and compelling answers here.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 1st ed edition (September 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158542255X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585422555
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,147,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vision for Humanity, October 20, 2003

By	William J. Clancey (Portola Valley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

It is easy today to despair of the world and its future: The dot-com debacle, loss of 10% of the jobs in Silicon Valley, a terrorist attack on New York City and the Pentagon, two wars in the Middle East, Arabs blowing themselves up on public streets, the loss of another Shuttle craft.... Yet in this same period, the four years since 2000, the Mars Society has built three research stations and already operated two with thousands of crew person-days of simulated Mars missions. Hundreds of scientists and engineers have generated a copious web site of beautifully illustrated mission reports, produced Discovery Channel and National Geographic specials, published dozens of articles in trade journals such as Scientific American and Popular Science, and presented many inspirational talks in schools and museums.

All that since 1999, about 1500 days. All that while the world looked to be going to hell, when it seemed so easy to give up, to conclude that humans are indeed too limited, too battle hungry, too lost in vanity, greed, and nationalism.

Robert Zubrin and the Mars Society have shown another way. They have shown how to set a vision, creatively finance projects, endure physical challenges-and perhaps most difficult of all, work past their own emotional weaknesses and thirst for control. This group has actually built something: exalting futuristic "habitats" rising out of the Arctic and Southwest Desert. These research stations (Flashline Mars in the Arctic and the Desert Station in Utah) are not only symbols-for that they are, on a grand scale-these are places where real work has been done, where practical engineering and ideals have moved us measurably closer to living on Mars.

I claim that this step, what the Mars Society has done, is nothing less than a clarion call that we can defeat what is bad about humanity, that we can set a goal and a mission that makes life worth living, and gives real meaning to our time.

For in fact, all that the Mars Society has done in these four years, admirably well-told by Zubrin in this scholarly book, is a reminder of how far humanity has come in ten thousand years. The forces of the night have been defeated and can be set asunder, or we would not have come this far. Our ancestors have proven again and again that the ignorance and pettiness of the lizard brain within are no match for the spirit of human imagination, no match for the power of an enchanting vision, the cry of exploration and adventure-here, the thought of searching for fossils, walking on Mars.

The Mars Society and its thousands of supporters in universities, schools, media, and inside the space industry, have demonstrated faith and capable clarity of mind. These people, described throughout this inspiring book, are among the true leaders of our age. We meet Joe, an Inuit who guides us on Devon Island; Christine, a Canadian Chemist who plays Mozart in the hab, and Jim, former head of Kennedy Space Center's public outreach, who arranges to display a hab to 100,000 Cape Canaveral visitors. "Mars on Earth" tells of many more unbridled volunteers-architects, contractors, NASA scientists, reporters, giving their best. Despite moments of fear, equipment failure, and poor judgment, they pulled together, raised the habs, and filled them with imagination. I am proud to have participated, and in awe at the range of talent and creative joy I have found in the Arctic, in our habs, and conferences and local meetings.

If you don't know the story of the Mars Society, read this book, and you may discover a new meaning for your life. It is nothing less than that. And then go to www.marssociety.org, and join. Meet some of the best friends you will ever find. Show by your actions and support what humanity can be.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Sagans, One Quote., October 20, 2003

By	Niles Donegan (Lebanon, NH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thanks for the clarification on the identity Carl Sagan at the Denver Post, Russell. I'm sure he's a wonderful reporter, but it seems misleading (inadverently or not) to have a space science book containing glowing praise from Carl Sagan on it. There must have been dozens of other scientists and reporters available for comment on "Mars on Earth" but to include the name of a reporter on the jacket who shares the name of a famous astrophysicist is a bit confusing.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mars on Earth, January 26, 2007

By	Tim Novak - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mars on Earth (Hardcover)

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the development of a permanent Mars habitat. The author begins with an overview of the development of a realistic plan to put a permanently manned base on Mars using currently available technology and feasible funding requirements. Discussion then follows regarding the founding of the Mars Society and their ongoing projects of developing and installing Mars analog scientific stations on Earth. International scientists volunteer their time and talents to do real science in the field under conditions analogous to working on Mars. This book is well written and reads like an adventure novel. I only wished it contained more hard detail regarding the design and construction of the habitats and analog space suits.