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

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

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  • Create Date：2021-08-14 09:53:51
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Robert Zubrin
  • ISBN：1982172924
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Summary

The Case for Mars makes living in space seem more possible than ever in this updated 25th anniversary edition， with a new preface by Elon Musk。

Since the beginning of human history， Mars has been an alluring dream—the stuff of legends， gods， and mystery。 The planet most like ours， it had long been thought impossible to reach， let alone explore and inhabit。 But that is changing fast。

In February 2021， the American rover Perseverance will touch down on Mars。 Equipped with a powerful suite of scientific instruments—including some that will attempt to make oxygen from the Martian atmosphere—the rover also carries a helicopter that will take spectacular panoramic movies from the air。 Most exciting of all， a spectrometer onboard may find evidence of fossils left behind by microbes millions of years ago， when the planet was warm and wet， proving at last that life on Earth is not unique， but a general phenomenon in the universe。 Meanwhile， in Boca Chica， Texas， Elon Musk’s SpaceX has created a shipyard that is building and testing the vessels that will take humans to Mars before this decade is out。

Leading space exploration expert Robert Zubrin crafted the daring blueprint for humanity’s reach to the Red Planet twenty-five years ago， when he first published The Case for Mars。 Now， in this updated edition， he looks to the future once more to describe how—in an era when the American space program and private companies like SpaceX are racing to send astronauts to Mars—our first colonies there are imminent。 In the grand tradition of successful explorers， Zubrin calls for a travel-light and live-off-the-land approach to Martian settlement。 He explains how scientists can use present-day technology to send humans to Mars， produce fuel and oxygen on the planet’s surface with its own natural resources， build bases and communities， and one day， terraform—or alter the atmosphere of the planet in order to pave the way for sustainable life。

As a landmark new mission opens the decisive campaign to take humans to the Red Planet， Zubrin lays out a comprehensive plan to build life on a new world。

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Reviews

Benjamin Barnhill ，

A man's life work distilled into an informative and easily digestible technical report on a manned mars mission which combines modern technologies along with ingenuitive and survivalist thinking to make such a mission not only economically feasible， but possible within our lifetime。 This novel is a great argument for the current debate in academia about whether or not to make scientific papers and journals more accessible by changing the writing style。 This book allows one to understand the conc A man's life work distilled into an informative and easily digestible technical report on a manned mars mission which combines modern technologies along with ingenuitive and survivalist thinking to make such a mission not only economically feasible， but possible within our lifetime。 This novel is a great argument for the current debate in academia about whether or not to make scientific papers and journals more accessible by changing the writing style。 This book allows one to understand the concepts behind the mission without needing a master's degree in aerospace engineering by presenting and explaining the math and science in a way that is as informative as it is captivating。 With a title like "The Case for Mars" I was expecting a book centered on the philosophical arguments about why a manned Mars mission is important。 Although the author does present some towards the end of the book， I found them lacking and not nearly as persuasive as the rest of the book had been。 However， if you were like me and thought that a manned mission to Mars would require either an immense amount of funding or sci-fi technology， then this book is a great method of discovering just how wrong you are。 。。。more

John Smith ，

Decent。

Kyle Racette ，

I was hoping there would be more philosophical and moral discussion on why we should go settle mars， but there were only some short points on this at the end。 Rather， this book was a deep technical look into how we could get to mars and settle it in the shortest amount of time with today's technology。 While this book is a bit technical and opinionated， I didn't feel that it required a science or engineering background to understand the main points。 I was hoping there would be more philosophical and moral discussion on why we should go settle mars， but there were only some short points on this at the end。 Rather， this book was a deep technical look into how we could get to mars and settle it in the shortest amount of time with today's technology。 While this book is a bit technical and opinionated， I didn't feel that it required a science or engineering background to understand the main points。 。。。more

Carlos Rodriguez ，

I really appreciated this book， it is a VERY practical approach to the plan to go to mars， without too much of subjective discussion， simple cientific facts of real stuff that already exists to make the travel possible within few years。 In this book Robert seems a bit more relaxed and less fightfull than other talks or articles。 If you are a space enthusiast you gotta read it。

CSilverthorne ，

I have always been interested in space， including Mars。 The robot vehicles， including Sojourner， Opportunity， Spirit， Curiosity， and very recently， Perseverance。 Robert Zubrins ability to break down facts into an easy to read compelling book made me enjoy the book that much more。 He can explain everything to an average person that they understand just as much as him。 It also shows how colonizing Mars has gone from a pipe dream， to a most definite yes。 The only thing lacking in this the explanati I have always been interested in space， including Mars。 The robot vehicles， including Sojourner， Opportunity， Spirit， Curiosity， and very recently， Perseverance。 Robert Zubrins ability to break down facts into an easy to read compelling book made me enjoy the book that much more。 He can explain everything to an average person that they understand just as much as him。 It also shows how colonizing Mars has gone from a pipe dream， to a most definite yes。 The only thing lacking in this the explanation on why we must settle on Mars。 From the read you can guess that it is the next logical step in space exploration， but I would still like to see the authors opinion。 I would recommend this book to everyone， especially young people since we are the generation that will settle space。 。。。more

Peter Harris ，

During my last two years of college， I was very fortunate to be guided by a very smart engineering professor mentioned in this book: Dr。 Robert Ash。 We never talked about the overall plan or any of the logistics， but focused on the engineering aspect of creating a readily available fuel on Mars。 I didn’t know it， but the fuel was not only going to run an engine on the surface of Mars， but would be the fuel for missions returning to Earth。 This author also mentions bringing huge amounts of hydrog During my last two years of college， I was very fortunate to be guided by a very smart engineering professor mentioned in this book: Dr。 Robert Ash。 We never talked about the overall plan or any of the logistics， but focused on the engineering aspect of creating a readily available fuel on Mars。 I didn’t know it， but the fuel was not only going to run an engine on the surface of Mars， but would be the fuel for missions returning to Earth。 This author also mentions bringing huge amounts of hydrogen to Mars and Dr。 Robert Ash and I never even broached the idea。 I was and still am proud of working on the Mars project， even though I suspect internal combustion will never take place on Mars。 。。。more

Tanay Gupta ，

Read six years ago as a freshman in college per the rec of an aerospace engineering student。 Awesome book that provides scientific evidence of why Mars is feasible from an early perspective。 Really makes you want to innovate in space exploration and learn more！

Alex B ，

While an interesting read， I found very complicated at times and plain boring even at times。 For anyone interested in the future of colonizing Mars， I would recommend this book， but would warn of its highly technical topics。

Kevin ，

Outstanding read， filled with the science and romance of the red planet。 A must read for those who would choose not to be stuck in the mud。 I can't wait to read the 25th Anniversary edition of this。 Outstanding read， filled with the science and romance of the red planet。 A must read for those who would choose not to be stuck in the mud。 I can't wait to read the 25th Anniversary edition of this。 。。。more

Pritimay ，

I can't believe that the book is written in the 1900s。 So many years have passed。 Still， we are not able to send push ourselves forward。 Mars could have been explored by humans by now。 As the author rightly pointed out。 Sending humans is the only to get close to colonization。 I can't believe that the book is written in the 1900s。 So many years have passed。 Still， we are not able to send push ourselves forward。 Mars could have been explored by humans by now。 As the author rightly pointed out。 Sending humans is the only to get close to colonization。 。。。more

Adastra ，

This book was so boring that I stopped about about 3 chapters

Martin ，

I don't know if I understood *all* of what was proposed， propounded， and pontificated upon， or if everything presented is possible。 Perhaps I understood about 82。4%， which is pretty good。 What I do know is that I enjoyed every discussion on every page， and that I loved his everything-is-feasible positivity。 He really does make it sound like you can make ad infinitum materials out of thin air。 I knew the earth itself had these properties - everything you see comes from there！ - but he opened my e I don't know if I understood *all* of what was proposed， propounded， and pontificated upon， or if everything presented is possible。 Perhaps I understood about 82。4%， which is pretty good。 What I do know is that I enjoyed every discussion on every page， and that I loved his everything-is-feasible positivity。 He really does make it sound like you can make ad infinitum materials out of thin air。 I knew the earth itself had these properties - everything you see comes from there！ - but he opened my eyes to the fabrication of things straight out of what you *can't* see。 That was a brain-rocking realization， and the rest was just plain fun。 I'll likely be alive when we get to Mars， and I'll be eager to see if the efforts include any of the author's innovations。 。。。more

Kyle Carroll （i_fucking_love_books） ，

DNF @ 27% Robert Zubrin sure is full of himself。 This entire book is just one long proposal for HIS mission， Mars Direct， and why it’s the only one that will work。 He explains all of the current propositions and mission plans and you start thinking “Oh， that’s pretty neat， I can definitly see that”。 But then he goes， “But those will never work， and here’s why。 My mission is the only way we can do it。” And in the various charts and graphcs he uses to prove his point， he essentially compares apple DNF @ 27% Robert Zubrin sure is full of himself。 This entire book is just one long proposal for HIS mission， Mars Direct， and why it’s the only one that will work。 He explains all of the current propositions and mission plans and you start thinking “Oh， that’s pretty neat， I can definitly see that”。 But then he goes， “But those will never work， and here’s why。 My mission is the only way we can do it。” And in the various charts and graphcs he uses to prove his point， he essentially compares apples and oranges to make his apples more appealing。Also， he’s contradictory。 Towards the beginning of the book he mentions how with some of the best pilots flying the first Mars missions， we’ll be able to land within meters of the intended location。 A few chapters later he says that no pilots will be necessary for the mission because it will all be automated， and that having pilot training will be “a useful skill at best”。 。。。more

Clare ，

Insightful case by NASA contractor insider about why we should and how we already can get to Mars in the next decade without breaking the bank。 I had no idea it was this feasible and now I’m excited about it。 This book will make you want to call your congressperson and get it done。

Aiyan Warsi ，

Today when human sights are set at Mars， with Space X being at the forefront of the charge to the Red Planet。 Dr Zubrin provides a highly detailed insight into the politics and history of space exploration and how NASA and the US has been falling back in comparison to several space agencies。 The book contains all technical details of the Mars direct program and how simple it can be to get to Mars with all current technologies we posses， clearing several queries technical， biological and outlines Today when human sights are set at Mars， with Space X being at the forefront of the charge to the Red Planet。 Dr Zubrin provides a highly detailed insight into the politics and history of space exploration and how NASA and the US has been falling back in comparison to several space agencies。 The book contains all technical details of the Mars direct program and how simple it can be to get to Mars with all current technologies we posses， clearing several queries technical， biological and outlines many difficulties we may face as we fly to Mars。 。。。more

Dmitry ，

This book presents a powerful narrative regarding the need for Mars exploration， the means of doing so， and the possible timetable for this task。 The book does not spare criticism of the NASA's approach on this issue， or on the topic of space exploration more generally。 The approach advanced by the book， and developed by its author is called Mars Direct， and calls for use of present day technologies for a stream of human missions to Mars， each lasting over 2 years （including the transit）。 The me This book presents a powerful narrative regarding the need for Mars exploration， the means of doing so， and the possible timetable for this task。 The book does not spare criticism of the NASA's approach on this issue， or on the topic of space exploration more generally。 The approach advanced by the book， and developed by its author is called Mars Direct， and calls for use of present day technologies for a stream of human missions to Mars， each lasting over 2 years （including the transit）。 The means to do so is to use the low energy Hohmann transfer to fly from low Earth orbit directly to the Mars surface in a cheapest and fastest way possible， to wait on the surface of Mars until the next Hohmann transfer window opens （using this time to explore the red planet）， then return using the propellant produced locally， from CO2 found on the surface and H2 brought from Earth， using nuclear energy。 This is clearly a very influential book， since even before the author mentions it， it is clear that Elon Musk's plans for Mars exploration are based upon the Mars Direct approach， while scaling it up significantly。 The book then goes into great detail regarding how the initial exploration expeditions can be turned into a beginning of claiming Mars for humanity， by building local marsian industry and bringing in more and more people， eventually to found a new branch of humanity。 The book， however， is somewhat outdated。 It was originally written in 1996， and a revised edition was published in 2011， but even that is out of date in 2020， with SpaceX's Starship in active development， Falcon Heavy having flown several times by now， and Dragon having taken humans to the ISS。 Furthermore， even though at the first glance the study of Mars colonization appears to be comprehensive， it is clear that author sometimes glosses over certain topics。 For example， the author dispels the myths about the importance of reduced gravity on human health， claiming that it does not prevent humans from performing 2-year missions to Mars and back， but never mentions the topic again when the issue of colonization is discussed （the influence of reduced Martian gravitation on embryonic development and that of children is unknown）。 Then， even more importantly， the author goes into great details describing the chemical reactions needed to produce just about any material used by human industry on Mars， but fails to mention how， logistically， can the full chain of supply involving millions of people on Earth be recreated on Mars with just handful of people and a very limited amount of heavy machinery and materials。 So yes， it's pretty clear how can one fly there and back again， producing the propellant for the journey back using a small chemical reactor churning out CH4， but how does one go from that to building a foundry or an electronics factory is not clear。 Also， with the benefit of hindsight， it is clear that the approach towards space exploration involving NASA's cooperation with Russia was doomed to failure （the mentions of Energia booster， a late born child of agonizing Soviet industry， is probably the most favorable mention of that engineering failure it has ever earned - I hear there are attempts to revive that technology。 This ain't gonna happen）。 And the weakest part of the book for me was the last chapter， venturing to claim that the life on Earth was probably brought in by an asteroid bringing in a piece of martian soil with some bacteria in it， mostly based on the fact that we weren't able to find the missing link between inorganic chemistry and bacteria here on Earth - this argument is even worse than the "missing link" argument of evolution deniers， since while evolution has happened everywhere on Earth， the creation of sufficiently evolved life that would earn the name bacteria might have happened once - in a remote， or inaccessible location - or might have left no fossils at all。 Still， those are relatively minor points - this is not an origins of life book anyway - the book is clearly inspirational and is a product of deep thinking by a lot of smart people， and I recommend it to anyone who is passionate about space。 。。。more

Matthew Kresal ，

Just under a year ago from when I'm writing these words was a half-century since Apollo 11 landed on the Moon。 We're just under two and a half years away from when Apollo 17 left the Moon and ended humanity's forays into deep space， to date anyway。 Since then， the question has remained the same， "what next？" If you're Robert Zubrin， then that answer can be summed up in one word: Mars。 And in 1996， and with updating in 2011， he made a compelling case for the Red Planet。Fundamentally， The Case for Just under a year ago from when I'm writing these words was a half-century since Apollo 11 landed on the Moon。 We're just under two and a half years away from when Apollo 17 left the Moon and ended humanity's forays into deep space， to date anyway。 Since then， the question has remained the same， "what next？" If you're Robert Zubrin， then that answer can be summed up in one word: Mars。 And in 1996， and with updating in 2011， he made a compelling case for the Red Planet。Fundamentally， The Case for Mars is precisely that。 Zubrin， the founder of the Mars Society and co-creator of the Mars Direct plan， put forward just how we might get to the Red Planet in the short term。 Across nearly 190 pages， Zubrin offers a crash course on Mars and his proposal。 Readers get the history of the human fascination with Mars， our robotic efforts to explore the planet， and just why we haven't put human boots on its surface yet。 Doing that， Zubrin gets into the bit he is most earnest about: talking about how to get a crew to Mars。 Those familiar with the Mars Direct proposal via numerous documentaries and articles will find a full laying out of what such a voyage will take， from hardware and crew selection to the risks involved。 If you need convincing that Mars is a place to go to， and that Mars Direct is the way to do it， then the first half of the book is what you need。 Even better， it's written in a style and language where almost anyone can understand it。It's in the back half， give or take， where the book runs into some trouble。 Getting into colonization and the question of terraforming， the book becomes far more technical than it had been in previous chapters。 To the point that， as a space enthusiast rather than being an engineer or chemist， I found myself a little out of my depth， I'm not afraid to say。 The concluding chapter， The View from Earth， and the epilogue too， for that matter， likely won't sit well with some readers， especially with the nostalgic angle for both the golden days of Apollo and the American frontier。 For a book that is so much about looking forward， it suddenly feels very backward-looking。 Not to mention Zubrin's support for a potential Anasazi X Prize model to get to Mars in the final chapter。 After all， the events of the last decade suggest that， despite the hype around it， it isn't likely to produce the Mars mission that Zubrin hopes it will。 For all of its flaws， Zubrin makes a compelling Case for Mars。 Indeed， you can see his influence on Mars missions both in fiction （the film Mission to Mars or Andy Weir's novel The Martian） and in reality with NASA's planning。 A human voyage to the Red Planet is still a ways off， but one can't help but feel that Zubrin's book and advocacy have gotten us closer。 And that， when we do go， it'll likely be something akin to what he described here。 。。。more

Jonathan ，

Not a thrilling book I'd recommend to just anyone， exactly。 But still a great book if you're interested in space， space agencies' complexities， how politics play a part， and you're not afraid of science words :P Not a thrilling book I'd recommend to just anyone， exactly。 But still a great book if you're interested in space， space agencies' complexities， how politics play a part， and you're not afraid of science words :P 。。。more

Elizabeth de Moya ，

It’s basically a business plan on how we can get to Mars in the late Nineties。 He has obviously put a lot of research into it。 But he seems unwilling to accept other peoples ideas。 He repeatedly rejects the thought of going to the moon， saying it is full of “trash rocks。” He wants to send four of our best minds to Mars and claims they will not need a doctor。 I don’t think he is considering everything that could go wrong。 It’s a completely foreign environment and astronauts have been known to cra It’s basically a business plan on how we can get to Mars in the late Nineties。 He has obviously put a lot of research into it。 But he seems unwilling to accept other peoples ideas。 He repeatedly rejects the thought of going to the moon， saying it is full of “trash rocks。” He wants to send four of our best minds to Mars and claims they will not need a doctor。 I don’t think he is considering everything that could go wrong。 It’s a completely foreign environment and astronauts have been known to crack （i。e。 that diaper lady）。 It could turnout like Roanoke or Jamestown。 Just because we can send four people to Mars in a 1，000 square foot tuna can doesn’t mean we should。 You don’t even want to test the habs on the moon？ Really dude？ The moon is one day away。 Mars is half a year to two years away。 I support the moon project。 。。。more

M。L。 Rio ，

There's a lot of interesting science here， but the work as a whole is marred by Zubrin's obvious and off-putting ego， along with flashes of sexism （an apparently unironic use of the word "strumpet" stands out as especially cringeworthy） and a tendency to implicitly glorify white male machismo as a model for political leadership and European imperialism as a model for space exploration。 There's a lot of interesting science here， but the work as a whole is marred by Zubrin's obvious and off-putting ego， along with flashes of sexism （an apparently unironic use of the word "strumpet" stands out as especially cringeworthy） and a tendency to implicitly glorify white male machismo as a model for political leadership and European imperialism as a model for space exploration。 。。。more

Amy Leigh ，

Excellent explanation of how and why we should establish a human colony on Mars。 The book lays out the technical aspects of traveling to Mars， building basic habitats， manufacturing metals and plastics， and eventually terraforming the entire planet。 The author's frustration with the lack of progress in the US space program since Apollo is clearly evident， and his arguments for a Mars mission as our next step are compelling。He also shows how we don't have to wait for billions of dollars and decad Excellent explanation of how and why we should establish a human colony on Mars。 The book lays out the technical aspects of traveling to Mars， building basic habitats， manufacturing metals and plastics， and eventually terraforming the entire planet。 The author's frustration with the lack of progress in the US space program since Apollo is clearly evident， and his arguments for a Mars mission as our next step are compelling。He also shows how we don't have to wait for billions of dollars and decades of new development。 NASA can get us to Mars within a decade， if we do an all-out Apollo-type effort。 But at the pace NASA is currently going， by the time they get to Mars， Elon Musk will already be there。 。。。more

Gordon ，

4。5 stars！ I read the 2011 revised edition。 Informative， inspiring， awesome。 As much a history lesson as a treatise on the practical feasibility of not just sending a manned mission to Mars， but of establishing a Mars colony and eventually “terraforming” the Red Planet。 Robert Zubrin wonderfully explains the science （physics， astrophysics， chemistry， and biology） and engineering behind the “Mars Direct” concept for such a mission。 A mission that in fact could have been successfully executed 30 y 4。5 stars！ I read the 2011 revised edition。 Informative， inspiring， awesome。 As much a history lesson as a treatise on the practical feasibility of not just sending a manned mission to Mars， but of establishing a Mars colony and eventually “terraforming” the Red Planet。 Robert Zubrin wonderfully explains the science （physics， astrophysics， chemistry， and biology） and engineering behind the “Mars Direct” concept for such a mission。 A mission that in fact could have been successfully executed 30 years ago with proven technology from 50 years ago！ The essential elements， the atmosphere， the gravity， the relative short distance of Mars from Earth， its rotational axis， its solar orbit， and high potential of subsurface water。。。all make a mission and life on Mars eminently possible。 Advances in technology and commercial space industry make a Mars mission within the grasp of private investment and ultimately a very promising commercial venture （e。g。 Earth applications of Mars exploration and research， high returns from mining of the asteroid belt between Earth and Mars， etc。）。 So， now when will we have an Administration willing to set the goal， inspire the nation， and incentivize the modern “Space Barons” to get after this lofty， but very attainable goal？？ 。。。more

Alexander Rolfe ，

We have no excuse for not having put people on Mars by now。

Roger ，

Thought provoking and well written。 Though there’s a fair amount of repeated ideas and info throughout the book， it does a great job of balancing the popular science side and thought experiments with real math。 Very inspiring and exciting！

Krišjānis Liepiņš ，

Daudz vērtīgas informācijas par Marsu， zinātni un tehnoloģijām。 Interesanta pieeja ar pilotētām Marsa misijām saistītajiem tehnoloģiskajiem izaicinājumiem。Saglabāju daudzas piezīmes un izcēlumus。

John Loucks ，

Helps make sense of Mars debateThis book helps you understand how we can get to （and stay on ） Mars。 NASA'S plan is doomed to fail。 This plan "Mars Direct" is like a breath of fresh air。 The frontier awaits。。 Helps make sense of Mars debateThis book helps you understand how we can get to （and stay on ） Mars。 NASA'S plan is doomed to fail。 This plan "Mars Direct" is like a breath of fresh air。 The frontier awaits。。 。。。more

Shannon Williams ，

Great book and will read againThis was a very good book debunking and well as giving solutions。 Gives background and reasoning for looking at certain solution and dismissing misconceptions。 I enjoyed it went into chemistry without going to deep。

Matthew Morgan ，

I still can't believe we haven't done this！ I still can't believe we haven't done this！ 。。。more

Troy Tegeder ，

A surprisingly detailed set of plans for Mars exploration and colonization using technology we have right now。 RZ has been an engineer in the space industry for most of his life， and is a brilliant mind capable of thinking outside the box yet remain completely practical and thorough in his research。 A main takeaway is that NASA inhibits what could be a relatively cheap set of meaningful mars missions because the various heads of NASA want to use any Missile to further their own projects， balloon A surprisingly detailed set of plans for Mars exploration and colonization using technology we have right now。 RZ has been an engineer in the space industry for most of his life， and is a brilliant mind capable of thinking outside the box yet remain completely practical and thorough in his research。 A main takeaway is that NASA inhibits what could be a relatively cheap set of meaningful mars missions because the various heads of NASA want to use any Missile to further their own projects， ballooning the cost to be prohibitively and unnecessarily high so they never get approved。 This is why the private sector will get people to Mars first。 。。。more

Diego Saldarriaga ，

This book goes deep into the science and engineering challenges to establish a Mars Colony and discusses the possibilities for terraforming mars。The author understands the bureaucracy and politics inside NASA and is convinced a mission to Mars is doable with the technology we used for the Apollo program。Great read， although feels a bit outdated （even when the version has some notes as to 2011 missions）。 The terraforming mars case seems to miss the problems of Mars lacking a Magnetosphere。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0