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bookanonjeff's review
5.0
Legendary Man, Solid Vision. Often lost in the fact that Buzz Aldrin was on the first team to land on the moon and the second man to step foot on the moon is the fact that he actually had a PhD - from MIT no less - before that legendary accomplishment. Here, this former fighter pilot and lifelong engineer lays out a comprehensive vision to make humanity a dual planet species forevermore. Reading it several years after publication and just weeks before the 50th anniversary of his walk on the moon - an anniversary Aldrin repeatedly says would be a prime day for a definitive "We Choose To Go To The Moon" speech regarding Mars - it is interesting to see how this vision has been followed (or more accurately, not) over the last several years and how fiction (specifically, The Martian by Andy Weir) has actually hewed closer to Aldrin's vision than NASA or the various real-world space agencies and corporations have. Very highly recommended.
bobholt's review against another edition
3.0
A good overview of Aldrin's plan, but more usefully a starting point for research about various applicable technologies.
dancarey_404's review against another edition
3.0
In some regards, this book is brilliant. In others (and the reason for the 3-star rating), it is emblematic of why manned space exploration is stalled. The grand scope and long-term vision that Aldrin lays out can both inspire and cause a kind of fatigue. The feeling that, if we want to get to Mars we have to do A, B, C and D through Q, creates an impression of enormous costs and a realization of how unlikely that any organization funded by Congress is to be capable of it.
For my money, the second edition of [a:Robert Zubrin|983409|Robert Zubrin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s [b:The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must|10203128|The Case for Mars The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must|Robert Zubrin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348793532s/10203128.jpg|2128996] is much more realistic and inspiring.
For my money, the second edition of [a:Robert Zubrin|983409|Robert Zubrin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s [b:The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must|10203128|The Case for Mars The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must|Robert Zubrin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348793532s/10203128.jpg|2128996] is much more realistic and inspiring.
abdiel47's review against another edition
2.0
I have a fascination with Mars. From Dante’s mystical forays to Kim Stanley Robinson’s terraforming epics, from Burroughs’ pulp to Bradbury’s poetry, I can’t get enough. If the government’s going to spend money on space exploration, it should be with an eye to create a self sustaining colony on Mars. Anything short of that is a failure. I believe solely focusing on unmanned space exploration will lead to waning public interest and minimal funding. The trickle of data will slowly decrease. Scientists may be able to use it to find out a bunch of cool stuff, but it will be increasingly esoteric to the average Joe. We recently did a Pluto fly by, but popular culture has already moved on.
Of course, manned space exploration doesn’t guarantee public interest either. Space has got to be relatively easy and accessible and then it can be profitable. Getting to that point is not easy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it never happened. But, oh, how I wish it would!
If a pep talk about going to Mars is what you need then Aldrin’s Mission to Mars is the book for you. Unfortunately that’s about all it provides. It’s haphazard, scattershot, poorly organized, and poorly argued. It’s three parts raw enthusiasm, two parts self aggrandizement, with a few interesting ideas sprinkled in for flavor.
Among the latter are the “Aldrin Cycler” system of space ships. These are perpetually orbiting ships that never stop. You’d take a shuttle out to the cycler as it comes close to Earth and ride it to Mars. Once there you’d hop off onto a similar shuttle and the cycler continues on it’s way back to Earth.
The other cool idea is his approach to going back to the Moon. In short, he argues that other countries should do that. Instead the US should focus on developing the cycler technology within the Earth-Moon system, and otherwise develop infrastructure — communication satellites, Earth-Moon Lagrange point space stations and fuel depots, etc. — and exchange usage of these resources with other countries that want to develop a presence on the moon. Once the technology is developed we expand it to Earth-asteroid and Earth-Mars systems.
In my opinion the notion that there will be any kind of return on investment on space exploration in the near future has to be abandoned. If space ever becomes profitable it will be a long time from now and will require mining mineral rich asteroids (keep in mind that a space windfall on iron, gold and other valuable resources would decimate the mining economy on Earth) and Helium-3 mining for fusion purposes. But that is dependent on actually creating a viable Helium-3 fusion technology first.
In that sense I think the book is misleading when it comes to economic opportunities.
Mars won’t be a financially profitable excursion. We won’t find extraterrestrial life there. We should go to Mars purely for the thrill of the technical challenge involved. And if we don’t find that challenge worth pursuing, get used to terra firma, because we’ll never leave.
I’ve heard Zubrin’s books about Mars are better. I need to give them a try.
Of course, manned space exploration doesn’t guarantee public interest either. Space has got to be relatively easy and accessible and then it can be profitable. Getting to that point is not easy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it never happened. But, oh, how I wish it would!
If a pep talk about going to Mars is what you need then Aldrin’s Mission to Mars is the book for you. Unfortunately that’s about all it provides. It’s haphazard, scattershot, poorly organized, and poorly argued. It’s three parts raw enthusiasm, two parts self aggrandizement, with a few interesting ideas sprinkled in for flavor.
Among the latter are the “Aldrin Cycler” system of space ships. These are perpetually orbiting ships that never stop. You’d take a shuttle out to the cycler as it comes close to Earth and ride it to Mars. Once there you’d hop off onto a similar shuttle and the cycler continues on it’s way back to Earth.
The other cool idea is his approach to going back to the Moon. In short, he argues that other countries should do that. Instead the US should focus on developing the cycler technology within the Earth-Moon system, and otherwise develop infrastructure — communication satellites, Earth-Moon Lagrange point space stations and fuel depots, etc. — and exchange usage of these resources with other countries that want to develop a presence on the moon. Once the technology is developed we expand it to Earth-asteroid and Earth-Mars systems.
In my opinion the notion that there will be any kind of return on investment on space exploration in the near future has to be abandoned. If space ever becomes profitable it will be a long time from now and will require mining mineral rich asteroids (keep in mind that a space windfall on iron, gold and other valuable resources would decimate the mining economy on Earth) and Helium-3 mining for fusion purposes. But that is dependent on actually creating a viable Helium-3 fusion technology first.
In that sense I think the book is misleading when it comes to economic opportunities.
Mars won’t be a financially profitable excursion. We won’t find extraterrestrial life there. We should go to Mars purely for the thrill of the technical challenge involved. And if we don’t find that challenge worth pursuing, get used to terra firma, because we’ll never leave.
I’ve heard Zubrin’s books about Mars are better. I need to give them a try.
sackofbeans's review against another edition
4.0
This was Buzz's eHow entry on getting to Mars.
In the first couple of chapters, Dr. Aldrin emphasizes just how important reusability of spacecraft is key to getting humans off of Earth more cheaply and frequently. Kind of cool to read about that only a couple of weeks after SpaceX made their first historic rocket-landing.
The greatest concept mentioned in the book is one the space community is pretty familiar with, yet the general public knows little about: It's technically possible to get spacecraft in a scheduled bus-like trajectory from Earth to Mars with minimal course corrections. Meaning ships launch from Earth, dock with the orbiting Greyhound Bus, take a cheap trip to Mars over the course of a few months, get off at the Red Dirt District, chill for awhile, then get back on that bus back home when it flies overhead again. Repeat the process for years and years to the point tourists are saying "Olympus Mons is ok, I guess."
The appendix, although a neat mini-history of how each US President has contributed to space exploration, still feels kind of like padding to increase the book length so it looks more impressive on store shelves. That one always gets me.
Oh and hey, my copy is signed by Buzz himself!
In the first couple of chapters, Dr. Aldrin emphasizes just how important reusability of spacecraft is key to getting humans off of Earth more cheaply and frequently. Kind of cool to read about that only a couple of weeks after SpaceX made their first historic rocket-landing.
The greatest concept mentioned in the book is one the space community is pretty familiar with, yet the general public knows little about: It's technically possible to get spacecraft in a scheduled bus-like trajectory from Earth to Mars with minimal course corrections. Meaning ships launch from Earth, dock with the orbiting Greyhound Bus, take a cheap trip to Mars over the course of a few months, get off at the Red Dirt District, chill for awhile, then get back on that bus back home when it flies overhead again. Repeat the process for years and years to the point tourists are saying "Olympus Mons is ok, I guess."
The appendix, although a neat mini-history of how each US President has contributed to space exploration, still feels kind of like padding to increase the book length so it looks more impressive on store shelves. That one always gets me.
Oh and hey, my copy is signed by Buzz himself!
gretacwink's review against another edition
3.0
a lot shorter and more repetitive than I expected. the presidential speeches at the end were pure filler, though it was interesting to read fifty years of proposed policy in that way.
moodyrose79's review against another edition
4.0
Good book. Not overly technical. The big thing that really jumped out to me is his view that we should not send astronauts to Mars, have them do a couple experiments, and then bring them home. Astronauts should view Mars as a one-way trip, at least at the beginning.
strangejem's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This book is now solely responsible for my newfound fear of iron based asteroids obliterating me. At any time. One every 3 years lands on earth?!?! And they can take out kilometers of land ?!?!
But overall a good read. Buzz Aldrin is opinionated but really knows his stuff. This goes through his thinking for how humanity could colonize Mars and by extension space. It’s quite technical but manages to not be too dense, and is broken up by anecdotes of Aldrin’s career. It’s well thought out and researched, if a bit dated at time due to its 2013 publication. I enjoyed listening to this (as a giant space nerd) and hope to see his vision come true!
Only think that really hurt was him ending the book by saying he is hopeful the winner of the 2016 election will renew the US commitment to space exploration and sustainable space travel and help build a consortium of nations to work together on this. Oof my dude, sorry all you got was militarization and the space force. Maybe someday.
But overall a good read. Buzz Aldrin is opinionated but really knows his stuff. This goes through his thinking for how humanity could colonize Mars and by extension space. It’s quite technical but manages to not be too dense, and is broken up by anecdotes of Aldrin’s career. It’s well thought out and researched, if a bit dated at time due to its 2013 publication. I enjoyed listening to this (as a giant space nerd) and hope to see his vision come true!
Only think that really hurt was him ending the book by saying he is hopeful the winner of the 2016 election will renew the US commitment to space exploration and sustainable space travel and help build a consortium of nations to work together on this. Oof my dude, sorry all you got was militarization and the space force. Maybe someday.
chalicotherex's review against another edition
2.0
An amazing vision padded out with press releases and reprinted speeches. A good review of current space projects and Buzz's own vision for getting to Mars, though my leftist side is wary of letting corporations replace government agencies. Mars deserves better.