Exploring Mars and Shaping Humanity's Future

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The chapter delves into the historical context and failures of the United States' space exploration efforts, emphasizing missed opportunities to reach Mars due to political leadership failures and the shift towards entrepreneurial leadership. It discusses Mars mission concepts like the Mars Direct Plan, the evolution in space vehicle designs for missions to Mars, and the impact of reusable launch vehicles on the future of space travel. The conversation also explores the six-month journey to Mars, slowing down space missions upon arrival, and balancing resources between space exploration and addressing terrestrial issues.

When Robert Zubrin published his classic book The Case for Mars a quarter century ago, setting foot on the Red Planet seemed a fantasy. Today, manned exploration is certain, and as Zubrin affirms in The New World on Mars, so too is colonization. From the astronautical engineer venerated by NASA and today’s space entrepreneurs, here is what we will achieve on Mars and how.

Shermer and Zubrin discuss: why not start with the moon? • what it is like on Mars • whether Mars was ever like Earth • how much it will cost to go to Mars • how to get people to Mars • resources on Mars • colonization of Mars • public vs. private enterprise for space exploration • economics, politics, and government on Mars • lessons from the Red Planet for the Blue Planet • liberty in space.

Robert Zubrin is former president of Pioneer Astronautics, which performs advanced space research for NASA, the US Air Force, the US Department of Energy, and private companies. He is the founder and president of the Mars Society, leading the Society’s successful effort to build the first simulated human Mars exploration base in the Canadian Arctic.