MISSION TO MARS

Reviewed 9/27/96

MISSION TO MARS Michael Collins New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1990				Rating: 5.0 High
ISBN-13 978-0-8021-1160-9
ISBN 0-8021-1160-2	307pp.	HC/FCI	$22.50

Buzz Aldrin, in his book Return to Earth, says that he has drifted apart from the other Apollo 11 astronauts. This is apparently a philosophical as well as a social divergence; for Aldrin wants to see a base on the moon, while Michael Collins prefers the manned missions to go directly to Mars.

There are points in Collins' favor — the principal one being that if Mars is the goal, making the moon a way-station would greatly increase the total cost of the venture. I tend toward Aldrin's viewpoint, however. I feel that the moon's proximity makes it the ideal place to develop expertise that will enable us to open up the whole solar system. The moon also has unique advantages in its own right, including lack of atmosphere and relatively low escape velocity.

But the objective here is to assess a book, not to argue strategies for space exploration.

Mission to Mars lays the groundwork that lets us understand how such a voyage might be planned and carried out. Collins begins by recounting briefly the history of our observations of the Red Planet. Next comes a series of short chapters on the various technical aspects of the problem — transfer orbits, propulsion and electrical power, the space environment, life support requirements, medicine and human factors. Since it will almost certainly be an international effort, he devotes several chapters to the capabilities developed by the Soviet Union, arguably the nation most experienced in the techniques needed. Collins' access to the Soviet space program makes these the most fascinating part of the book, for me. Finally, he pulls everything together with a fictionalized account of an actual mission.

The writing is clear and informative, without being overly technical. This is a book anyone interested in our future in space will enjoy. A mixture of real color pictures and artists' conceptions illustrates the design of the vehicles proposed and the nature of a possible landing site in Mangala Vallis.

I am aware of only two errors, and those are trifling ones. On page 9 is the statement, "Despite these extreme conditions, Mars is better suited for human habitation than any other planet in the Solar System." Taken literally, this omits Earth. (Like I said, this is really nit-picking.) And on page 256, I am confused by the description of the departure of the lander that will descend to Mars' surface: "The last thing Vladimir saw before the hatch clunked shut was Marina's beautiful face. Then she was bathing in a mountain stream, and then he turned to Condor's control panel." A mountain stream ??? My best guess is, this is supposed to be a fantasy Vladimir has about Marina. (His wife Elena, who is along, might object if she knew. But of course she doesn't. And, as the Germans say, "Die gedanken sind frei.")

There are discrepancies between what Collins presents and what I've learned. I put this down to knowledge acquired since he wrote the book. For example, he claims the rate of bone loss in zero gee as 0.5% per month. Yesterday (9/26/96), on NPR, an astronaut said it is 2% per month. It's hardly surprising that such details change as research proceeds. And it hardly detracts from the worth of this book.