Mars has long been in our sights as a destination, but it has always seemed so far off, so abstract—a destination for future generations. But now it seems closer. Thanks to SpaceX, NASA, and several other big players, there is new urgency in our desire to reach it. Achieving the goal of exploring Mars no longer feels like a science-fiction movie. Popular Mechanics has long chronicled man’s long march toward this exciting moment. Mission to Mars is a collection of our best and most important coverage of the Red Planet and the possibility it holds for our future. Includes an illustrated timeline of space travel through the decades.