First we dreamed it. Then we mapped it. Now we're building the ship.
Mars has captivated human imagination since ancient astronomers first tracked its blood-red wandering across the sky. But reaching it required a century of rocket science, robotic pioneers, and sheer stubbornness. From Goddard's first liquid-fuel rocket in a Massachusetts cabbage patch to Perseverance drilling into Jezero Crater, every mission has answered one question and raised ten more. Is there water? Yes. Was it habitable? Probably. Is there life? We're still looking. Can we get there? SpaceX's Starship says yes. This timeline traces humanity's long march toward becoming a multiplanetary species.
A curated dispatch of forgotten moments, pivotal turning points, and the stories behind the dates.