Mars was a distant shore and the men spread upon it in waves ... The first wave carried with it men accustomed to spaces and coldness and being alone ... They came and made things a little less empty, so that others would find courage to follow.
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
For centuries, in fiction as well as in fact, men have dreamed about going to Mars and exploring the Red Planet. Last week, on July 20, at 8:12 a.m. (E.D.T.)seven years to the day after the first men walked on the moonthis dream became a reality. "Touchdown! We have touchdown!" shouted...