Red Horizon: NASA's Journey to Mars is the definitive chronicle of humanity's long pursuit of the Red Planet - a story that spans more than seventy years of dreams, politics, and engineering brilliance. From Wernher von Braun's breathtaking 1950s space epics to NASA's Apollo-era Mars mission plans, from the hard lessons of canceled programs to the rebirth of interplanetary ambition through Artemis and SpaceX, John Bailey traces how America's vision of Mars exploration has evolved - and endured. Drawing on NASA archives, technical studies, and interviews with spaceflight experts, Red Horizon reveals how each era of exploration - Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, SEI, and Artemis - built a bridge toward the next frontier. This is not just the story of rockets and rovers, but of the scientists, engineers, and dreamers who refused to let the Red Planet fade from view. Inside you'll discover: - The secret Apollo-era plans for a 12-person Mars base in the 1980s - How the Integrated Program Plan aimed to link the Moon, Shuttle, and Mars into one grand vision - The rise of "Mars Direct" and the impact of Robert Zubrin's ideas on NASA's modern roadmap - How Artemis and Starship are laying the groundwork for humanity's first steps on another world Combining vivid storytelling with technical depth, Red Horizon captures the passion and perseverance behind NASA's most audacious goal - and shows why Mars remains the ultimate destination for humankind. For readers of: Andy Chaikin's A Man on the Moon, Robert Zubrin's The Case for Mars, and Mary Roach's Packing for Mars.