Marswalk One: First Steps on a New Planet

The book accepts that the journey will be made, but does not specify precisely when. Flight time, and how to get to and from the planet are discussed briefly, to understand why the suggested duration spent at Mars is reasonable.

The main objective of the work is to look at what science will be done on the surface – supported by orbital operations – and what hardware and technology will be employed to achieve the mission objectives. This analysis is drawn from previous experiences in manned and unmanned space programmes, including Apollo, Skylab, Salyut/Mir, Shuttle and ISS, Viking, Luna/Lunokhod, and recent Mars missions such as Pathfinder and Global Surveyor.

In addition, new interviews with key personalities involved in planning Martian exploration, and discussions about current thoughts on what we need to accomplish on Mars when we get there, will provide a lively and thought provoking account that could generate fresh debate.

When the decision is finally made to go to Mars, it will be made in the knowledge that most of the world knows why we are going and what benefits mankind will see for the effort. The authors’ primary objective is to begin this understanding.