"Of all the planets in the solar system apart from Earth, Mars has always been regarded as the most likely to have nurtured life. Even nineteenth-century astronomers were obsessed with the possibility of life on the red planet. Recent discoveries have only added to the mystery. Was Mars once warmer and wetter than it is now? What was the source of the water that once ran rampant over the surface? Where did all the water go? Is it possible that the planet once harbored - or may still harbor - life?" "In this account of human-kind's love affair with the red planet, William Sheehan and Stephen James O'Meara trace the history of our fascination with Earth's neighbor in the solar system and look at the prospects for human spaceflight to Mars in this century. The authors portray the history of our explorations of Mars through the eyes of the dreamers and achievers who have made the planet such an integral part of the human psyche. They reveal the discoverers' hardships, their strength in the face of criticisms, and the glories of their successes."--Jacket.