Eyes on the Red Planet: Human Mars Mission Planning, 1952-1970

The history of human Mars mission planning from the early 1950s through the 1960s is examined. For centuries, Mars has been an object of fascination and, since the 1800s, sciencefiction authors have imagined what it would be like for humans to travel to that planet. Space enthusiasts have shared this dream and as early as the 1950s were presenting feasible proposals for human missions to Mars. Since the creation of NASA, the Agency has maintained the idea of human Mars missions as an important long-term goal. Throughout its history, NASA has conducted studies aimed at landing an astronaut on Mars. NASA’s current strategic plan still includes this goal. Therefore, it is important to look at previous planning efforts to see what work has been accomplished and to discover lessons that future planners can apply to their programs.