Mars: The Nasa Mission Reports, Vol. 2 (Apogee Books Space Series)

Rating:
Summary: A fine collection of Mars papers
Review: Mars NASA Mission Reports Volume 2
Review by Robert Zubrin, President Mars Society

Once again the team at Apogee Books have produced a well timed book about the recent and current Mars Missions. Following on from their best selling Mars NASA Mission Reports Volume One, which included all missions up to and including the failed Polar Lander and Climate Observer missions of 1999 the new Volume continues the more successful missions since that dark year including data transmitted back from the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.

It is possible to find much of the contents of the book on the NASA websites, however this book puts everything into one easy to use reference and easy to carry paper database. As usual the book includes a DVD which in this case is a double sided disc including many videos, photographs, interviews with the major JPL team managers and much more. I found one question asked of Steve Squyres particularly interesting; when asked by Godwin what he could do that the rover could not if he was able to stand at Meridiani Planum; his answer...well the answer was poignant, you be the judge. Another interesting item from the vaults is a rare 1975 video lecture by Von Braun about Humans to Mars. Where do they find this stuff?

In all a fine addition to any Mars collection.


Rating:
Summary: GOT TO GET THIS ONE
Review: My thanks to Robert Zubrin for his review. Because of the Von Braun video lecture, I'm going to order this fine Apogee title straight away. By the way, thanks to Mr. Zubrin and his colleagues for everything they've done to push the cause of Man On Mars. It amazes me that about once a decade, mankind can find hundreds of billions of dollars to fight wars, yet will not spend much more on our important future in the new frontier.

Here's hoping that a consortium of Paul Allen-type people in future can get us to our sister world. If we relied solely on taxpayer funded missions it would take decades. And I'm not getting any younger.

Thanks again, Mr. Zubrin.