The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must

In his excellent "The Case for Mars", Robert Zubrin makes a thorough, thoughtful argument about the need for the exploration of Mars. In a very well rounded, easy to read work, he lays out both the scientific and humanistic reasons for a trip to the Red Planet. While his science is excellent (he is a former Lockheed engineer), what is most compelling about this book is what Zubrin sees as the primary reason for Mars exploration: it is there. He correctly asserts that humans are at their most creative and productive when they pit themselves against a major challenge. He sees the exploration and colonization of Mars as a means of injecting the human race with fresh vitality and drive. After reading this excellent book, I'm inclined to agree.

When I first saw the book, I was surprised by its size - it's so thick! It took me two weeks to finish the book, and I love it. I have read many books about space exploration, especially on human Mars exploration, but it is the one which I admire the most. Dr Zubrin is so creative for coming up with a plan called "Mars Direct". This plan is very different from the NASA's "90-Day Report", it involves no orbital assembly, no orbital infrastructure, no orbital rendezvous, and it doesn't need advanced propulsion or any other technology that we don't have, and basically what the approach takes is to explore Mars the way we explore the Earth, which is "travel light, and live off the land". Dr Zubrin explains that we can use this technology by using the resources that can be found on Mars rather than entirely Earth-supplied. I believe "Mars Direct" is the only way to get to Mars, because not only it is the cheapest, but also it is easier to accomplish. Dr Zubrin also explains why a moon base is not needed before the human Mars mission, which many people believe it is a necessary first step toward Mars. I agree, in fact I think his answer is quite convincing.Later in the book Dr Zubrin explains that we will start colonizing Mars once a region is chosen. Things like carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen which are very useful for human colonization are very common on Mars. Also there are plenty of chemical substances in the soil of Mars which can be used to make metals, or even nuclear reactors for the energy supplies. Compare to the moon, Mars has more useful resources for human colonization, and that's one of the reason why we should go to Mars, not the moon.Finally Dr Zubrin said in the far future we may "terraform" Mars. He said we can do this by putting a gigantic mirror in the orbit round Mars. When it reflects the sunlight onto the polar cap, the polar cap will melt and release carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere, which will then warm the planet up. Or if we have a significant industrial capability on Mars we can produce artificial greenhouse gas like CFC. I don't think it is science fiction because I believe we can do this, and if we terraform Mars, it will become our second home.The reason why our technology gets better is because we have plenty of resources on Earth, but once it becomes insufficient the result will be war and extinction of human being. The only way to avoid this is to search for other resources by exploring space, and of course, Mars is going to be a perfect place.

As an aerospace engineering student highly interested in space exploration (and wishing to go professional with this also) , I really found this book to be a real treat. Definitely was inspiring coming from an author that wishes to advance mankind technologically into the realm of space.. A view that I have concurred with ever since I was in grade school. The book was not just some bored rocket engineer's (or scientist's) science fiction memo, I found his plan extremely plausible and do-able. I especially liked the historical allusions he made throughout the account proving that the grand majority of the technologies used in Mars Direct have been done before in the past(and many for thousands of years). If they have done before, there is no reason why they can not be done again. I loved the clear explanation of his plan. He did not go into too much math , but he gave a clear picture in my mind the concepts involved. Zubrin is very knowledgable and while I was reading this book I knew that what he was saying was well-founded. A MUST READ for those interested in space exploration, astronomy, or aerospace engineering!

Robert Zubrin is a long-time advocate of space colonization and a former CEO of the National Space Society. He knows what he's talking about. "The Case for Mars" sets out the technological, economic, and -- most intriguingly -- political reasons for expanding human civilization off this planet. Zubrin's plans for terraforming Mars into a near-earthlike climate are the part of the book that has gotten the most attention. But his political rationale for Mars settlement -- that ultimately, freedom requires a frontier and the values that a frontier cultivates -- are the most inspirational part of the book from my perspective. An absolute must-read for space, or freedom, enthusiasts.