Project Mars. A Technical Tale

This science fiction novel by the original "rocket man," Dr. Wernher von Braun, combines technical fact with a human story line in the way that only a true dreamer can realize. This novel takes the reader through the entire adventure — the planning for a Mars mission, the building of the mighty space ships, the long journey, the amazing discoveries made on Mars, and the return home. Gary Holt, former Chief Instructor of Rocket Pilots for the U.S. Space Force, leads a 10-ship multinational team to Mars and after spending months exploring the red planet, brings his mission home a complete success. The author's detailed attention to the actions and feelings of the characters makes this an adventure of human proportions, rather than merely another fanciful tale. Written in the 1949, this exclusive von Braun treasure comes complete with an appendix ot his original calculations and technical drawings, made in the late 1940s, on which the story's journey is based. The Mars Project takes also inspiration from the large Antarctic expeditions of the day. For example, the Operation Highjump (1946–1947), a United States Navy program that included 4,700 men, 13 ships and 23 aircraft. Von Braun expected the Martian explorers to face similar problems. Following the end of World War II, Wernher von Braun emigrated to the United States and became the driving force behind America's space launch vehicles. Dr. von Braun's team at NASA developed the Redstone booster that launched America's first astronauts, and the mighty Saturn V launch vehicles that sent the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon.