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MARS BIBLE — HISTORY OF IDEAS AND MISSIONS

The people who shaped our understanding of Mars and helped prepare its exploration

Documented biographies of the scientists, engineers, astronauts and visionaries who changed our understanding of Mars and the possibility of sending humans there.

Thirty major figures across the history of ideas, rockets and Mars

From early observers to contemporary engineers, scientists and mission leaders, this collection connects people with the ideas, instruments, discoveries and decisions that gradually made Mars understandable and explorable.

Astronomer and discoverer of Phobos and Deimos

Asaph Hall

In August 1877, Asaph Hall discovered Mars’s two natural satellites

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Astronomer, mapper and historian of Mars

Giovanni Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli gave Mars a durable visual geography and nomenclature

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Astronomer, observatory founder and promoter of Martian canals

Percival Lowell

Percival Lowell devoted a major part of his life to Mars and to the idea of a canal network built by an intelligent civilization

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Portrait of Konstantin TsiolkovskyTheorist of astronautics

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Rocket equation, interplanetary flight and a spacefaring-humanity vision

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Physicist and rocket experimenter

Robert H. Goddard

Liquid propulsion and the transition from theory to experiment

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Portrait of Hermann OberthPhysicist and astronautics pioneer

Hermann Oberth

Interplanetary flight, liquid rockets and space stations

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Engineer and Chief Designer

Sergei Korolev

Launch-vehicle industrialization, Sputnik and the birth of the space age

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Portrait of Wernher von BraunRocket engineer and space-program architect

Wernher von Braun

Das Marsprojekt, Saturn V and the history of human Mars architectures

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Astronaut and trajectory theorist

Buzz Aldrin

Apollo 11, orbital rendezvous and the Mars Cycler

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Planetary scientist and communicator

Carl Sagan

Mariner, Viking, Martian climate and the search for life

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Portrait of Donna ShirleyAerospace engineer and program leader

Donna Shirley

Pathfinder, Sojourner and modern Mars exploration strategy

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Space physicist, planetary science director and former NASA Chief Scientist

Jim Green

Jim Green led NASA’s Planetary Science Division for twelve years and later served as the agency’s Chief Scientist

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Engineer and Mars Direct architect

Robert Zubrin

ISRU, Mars Direct and simplified human Mars architecture

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Astrobiologist and planetary scientist

Chris McKay

Habitability, Earth analogs, planetary protection and Mars

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Astrobiologist and former Lead Scientist for the Mars Exploration Program

Michael Meyer

Michael Meyer has been one of the most continuous science leaders in NASA’s Mars Exploration Program

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Planetary geologist and Mars landing-site specialist

Matthew Golombek

Matthew Golombek is a central figure in Mars landing-site selection at JPL

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Geologist and former Curiosity project scientist

John Grotzinger

John Grotzinger led Mars Science Laboratory science through development, landing and Curiosity’s early years

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Portrait of Steve SquyresPlanetary scientist and MER principal investigator

Steve Squyres

Spirit, Opportunity, geology and the history of water

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Portrait of Bruce JakoskyPlanetary scientist and founding MAVEN PI

Bruce Jakosky

Atmosphere, climate and atmospheric escape from Mars

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Planetary scientist, analog researcher and human-exploration planner

Pascal Lee

Pascal Lee directs the Haughton-Mars Project, one of the longest-running Mars analog field programs

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Planetary scientist and Mastcam-Z principal investigator

Jim Bell

Jim Bell has worked on imaging for Pathfinder, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance

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Geochemist and Mars 2020 project scientist

Ken Farley

Ken Farley is a Caltech geochemist and Mars 2020 project scientist

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Portrait of Michael HechtPhysicist and MOXIE principal investigator

Michael Hecht

Phoenix, ISRU and oxygen production on Mars

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Portrait of Rob ManningSystems engineer and EDL specialist

Rob Manning

Pathfinder, Curiosity, sky crane and Mars landing

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Portrait of Adam SteltznerEDL engineer

Adam Steltzner

Sky crane, descent dynamics and Curiosity

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Portrait of Jennifer TrosperSystems engineer and mission leader

Jennifer Trosper

All five NASA Mars rovers, from Sojourner to Perseverance

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Portrait of Nathalie CabrolPlanetary scientist and astrobiologist

Nathalie Cabrol

Martian lakes, biosignatures and analog environments

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Portrait of Ashwin VasavadaPlanetary scientist and Curiosity project scientist

Ashwin Vasavada

Gale, Mount Sharp and long-duration science coordination

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Portrait of Swati MohanGuidance, navigation and control engineer

Swati Mohan

Perseverance, TRN and autonomous landing

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Space entrepreneur and SpaceX founder

Elon Musk

Falcon, Dragon, Starship and SpaceX’s Mars objective

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