MARS – A COSMIC STEPPING STONE

Uncovering Humanity’s Cosmic Context

Kevin Nolan

Why Mars Matters
At the heart of this book is the idea that the Red Planet is critically important as an object of exploration because it is a stepping stone - certainly outward, to the universe around us, but even more importantly inward, into the deepest questions we can pose about our own creation and the very nature of life. Nolan points out in inspiring and provocative detail how the special qualities of our planetary neighbor provide us with unique opportunities and compelling rationales for exploration:

• Whether or not actual evidence of life is found there, Mars will provide us with a treasure trove of information on the emergence of life, as well as its robustness and adaptability.
• In spite of its obvious present differences, Mars shares a cosmic heritage with Earth, and thus will provide explorers with a window into our own planet’s early history. Early processes that have been swept away and hidden on Earth will, on Mars, be open to view and investigation.
• It is now clear that Mars was, and may still be, water-rich. This in and of itself implies a geochemical setting conducive to life. Having the opportunity for close-up exploration and analysis of the forms water takes on the planet, as well as the effects water had in its history, will tell us a great deal not just about Mars, but about Earth.
• Cosmically speaking, Mars is on our doorstep. Crew-based missions present serious human and scientific challenges, to be sure, but they are not insurmountable, even in terms of present-day propulsion and life-support technologies. And the payoffs to actually traveling there would be of incalculable value.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Acronyms
Prologue

1. Life in the Universe
2. The Origin of Life on Earth
3. From Antiquity to the Canals
4. Viking
5. The Legacy of Viking
6. Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone
7. A Grand Plan
8. The Search for Life: A Planetary Perspective
9. The Search for Life: Water and the Atmosphere
10. The Search for Life: Past and Present
11. A Global Strategy
12. Global Programs
13. First Steps: Pathfinder
14. Mars Reconnaissance
15. Spirit and Opportunity
16. A Paradigm Shift
17. Next Steps
18. Because It’s There
19. Planetary Protection
20. A Human Mission to Mars
21. Our Life in the Universe

Suggested reading
Suggested websites
Index


Extent: 388 pages, two 16-page colour sections
Binding: Casebound & Jacketed
Published: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-387-34164-4

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