Humanity has always looked to the stars, but it hasn’t been until relatively recently that we have managed to travel into space. Carolyn Collins Petersen takes us on a journey from the first space pioneers and their work, through the First World War-led technological advances in rocketry that formed the basis for the Space Age, to the increasing corporate interest in space. This detailed examination of our steps into space is viewed from our potential future there – on Mars to be exact – and considers how we will reach that point.

The author concludes with our current advances and our immediate ambitions in space exploration. The future and its scientific possibilities are enthralling: who will be the first to step on Mars? Will matter/antimatter annihilations take us to the Kuiper Belt, or will it be ion propulsion? What is the Alcubierre Warp Drive? Will it take us to the stars?

• History of science/space is a very popular subject. 
• The author is extremely well known in this area and has published extensively in a variety of formats (television, books, magazines, exhibitions).
• The author has a network of experts to draw on for publicity and review – and potentially a foreword or introduction.