Humanity has always looked to the stars, but it hasn't been until relatively recently that we have managed to travel to space. Carolyn Collins Petersen takes us on a journey from the first pace 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 past steps into space is viewed from our potential future in space on Mars to be exact and how we will reach that point. This is a highly original history of our past in space as it is viewed from the point of view of a potential future human presence on Mars. Petersen takes us on a cyclical journey from our future on Mars, back through the steps that we have taken that will get us there. She concludes with our current advances and immediate ambitions in space exploration. Our past accomplishments are pointed at an important, but often unstated goal: taking humans to the stars."