Mars may be the next addition to the list of places you can go! But there are a few items that need to be taken care of before blastoff. Mars is full of extreme features that stand in the way. What kinds of technology do we have now that will guide your way? What have scientists learned from the orbiters and rovers sent there? What's the plan if something goes wrong? Full-color photos show the risks and rewards that await explorers on Mars. 21st Century sidebars discuss technological advancements, hypothesize future endeavors and inventions, and solve problems and challenges astronauts might face. An activity at the end lets readers think about what they learned in a hands-on way. Activities for further learning Educational front/back matter Glossary of key words Index Informative sidebars Table of contents Every day, NASA learns a little bit more about our nearest neighbor, Mars. No planet besides Earth has been explored more! Students will look at Mars's geology and what may lie beneath the planet's rocky surface And discover the lessons learned from past launches to the planet and the technological advances made since then. Readers will learn what stands between us and Mars, and what the journey there would be like. What would humans need for a successful voyage? What dangers might await brave explorers? Mission: Mars makes the leap from the first flyby in 1965 to the not-so-distant future of humans exploring the Red Planet.