The Case for Mars (55 page)

Mars Semi-Direct step 2: Arrival of crew in surface hab. (Artwork courtesy NASA/JSC)

Mars Semi-Direct step 3: Crew departure. (Artwork courtesy NASA/JSC)

Mars Semi-Direct step 4: Rendezvous with ERV. (Artwork courtesy NASA/JSC)

Departure from Earth as envisioned for a traditional “Battlestar Galactica” Mars mission. (Artwork by Michael Carroll)

The first Mars missions will focus on the search for evidence of past or present life and for resources for the future. (Artwork Pat Rawlings, courtesy NASA)

Larry Clark (left) and the author perform initial checkout of the In-Situ Propellant Production plant developed by a team at Martin Marietta under contract to NASA Johnson Space Center. This demonstration unit clearly showed that making propellant on Mars is a viable concept. (Photo courtesy NASA)

NASA administrator Dan Goldin (right), shown here with the author and the Martin Marietta ISPP machine, became a supporter of Mars Direct. (Photo R. Zubrin)

The author talks Mars mission strategy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. (Photo R. Zubrin)

Mars Direct making press. This photo of Robert Zubrin (left), David Baker (center), and Ben Clark (right) ran as the cover of
Rocky Mountain News
magazine shortly after Baker and the author began presenting the plan at conferences around the country.
(
Photo courtesy
Rocky Mountain News)

Mars Direct habitats can be mated up with the aid of inflatable tunnels to create an initial Mars base in fairly short order. (Artwork by Cr Emmart)

An Earth Return Vehicle descends to land at a growing Mars base. (Artwork by Michael Carroll)

A mature base, established over a geothermal energy source, will provide a testbed for establishing technologies crucial to settling Mars. (Artwork by Carter Emmart)