Book Description

In 1877 the famed Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli used his brand-new 8.6 inch telescope to study the planets. To his great surprise he suspected that he saw symmetry on Mars. In the years that followed one astronomer after another looked at the red planet and gradually a mythology was formed -- a mythology of alien intellect. By the 1890's the martial influence had spilled over into all walks of life and sparked philosophical debates and wondrous fictions. Scientists, fantasists and people of all creeds looked up and wondered -- is there life out there? Now, more than a century later, nations around the world are bombarding Mars with an unprecedented fleet of exploratory vehicles. Their journey taking less time than it took Amundsen and Shackleton to reach the poles of Earth, these small but hardy robotic emissaries are thrusting their way through the depths of interplanetary space to take up residence in the barren Martian deserts. Their goal is to answer one of the oldest questions in mankind's history. Is there life out there? In this sequel to the best-selling first volume, the reader is brought up to date with the most recent results from our nearest neighbour. Filled with a wealth of facts about the latest fleet of Martian explorers as well as a look at what may be coming next in mankind's most ambitious quest for knowledge. Includes DVD-V / DVD-ROM featuring: Exclusive interviews with Mars Rover Mission Scientist Steve Squyres, Senior Flight Engineer Rob Manning, Mission Manager Jim Eriksen, the complete Cornell animation of the Rovers created by Maas Digital, a NASA animation of a proposed Manned Mars mission, the exciting mission control broadcast of the landing of Opportunity in Meridiani Planum and as an added extra special bonus, extremely rare video of Dr Wernher von Braun filmed in 1976 at the occasion of his last public speech about Mars exploration.