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Now that man has successfully walked on the moon, Mars has become the next frontier for space exploration. Since 1965, when the first Mariner spacecraft sped past Mars and snapped 22 grainy photos, the exploration of the Red Planet has been primarily the domain of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After many flybys and orbital missions, NASA finally landed on Mars in 1976 with the twin Viking probes.
From 1996 through to today, a series of rovers have been sent to Mars, each more sophisticated than the last. Today two rovers are operating on the red sands – Curiosity and Opportunity. In the years that we have been driving across Martian plains, extraordinary discoveries have been made, each more compelling than the last. Ancient rivers, lakes, oceans and valleys have been charted, a landscape that could have supported life.
Missions to Mars is a stunning book that offers an unprecedented, insider's look at how Mars has been explored and how we got to where we are today. It features incredible photos, many of which have never been seen before, and extensive documentation printed on the page.
Rod Pyle has written widely on space and the inner workings of NASA. He is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and space.com, as well as other media outlets. He has produced numerous documentaries for The History Channel and Discovery Communications. He holds a master's degree from Standford University, worked at the Griffith Observatory in LA and wrote the Smithsonian's Destination Moon and Carlton Books' Missions to the Moon.
