What does it mean to be "Martian?" Alien, exotic, otherworldly... menacing, harsh, challenging.
The Martian Almanac 221 continues the chronicle begun in The Martian Almanac 220, presenting a 669-sol almanac of the coming Martian, drawing from writings of the 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was widely believed that the planet Mars harbored an advanced civilization, and "first contact" was thought to be only a few years in the future.
Explore the human history of Mars. The hopes and fears we have projected on the Red Planet for two centuries. The adventure of encountering an alien civilization. The possibilities for fresh beginnings on a new world without repeating the mistakes we have made on Earth. The mysteries of Mars have inspired spiritual epiphanies, sparked socials movements, and stoked conspiracy theories: canals... pyramids... faces carved into mountains, even the name of the Almighty written across thousands of miles of its surface.
Follow sol-by-sol the journeys of robotic rovers braving the sand traps and dust storms of Mars as they climb challenging heights and descend into treacherous craters. But Mars isn't just for robots. Throughout the 1960's, NASA and its contractors detailed plans for sending humans to Mars in the 1970s. Nuclear rocket engines were being tested that would have made the journey feasible. Ever since, Mars has been waiting for us. In exploring an alien world through our own eyes and walking its surface, what may we discover about ourselves? New ideas of community, new forms of expression, new concepts of love. All that may await us... on Mars.
