Significant report by Wernher von Braun, entitled "The Mars Project: A Study of Interplanetary Expedition," translated in 1954 by Donald A. Dooley of the California Institute of Technology. Brad-bound in Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory wrappers, 9.25 x 11.25, 133 pages. The translator's note begins: "This translation, which was undertaken at the suggestion of Dr. F. E. Marble, is submitted in partial fulfillment of the language requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy." He notes that a translation of 'Das Marsprojekt' was published by the University of Illinois Press shortly before the completion of this work, but that he had not seen it; the herein translation is entirely original. In fine condition, with some wear and creasing to the wrappers.
Eyeing a massive manned mission to Mars, von Braun envisioned a 70-member crew aboard a fleet of ten spacecraft, comprised of seven ‘passenger’ ships and three ‘cargo’ ships. The cargo ships would orbit the planet and dispatch groups of explorers to the Martian surface on the smaller passenger vessels. In the launch toward Mars the ships would fire their engines for 66 minutes, using more than three-quarters of the propellant on board, and enter a coast for 260 days until arriving at their destination. They would then spend 443 days exploring Mars before returning to Earth, another 260-day voyage.
