The year is 2035, and the crew from the first expedition to Mars is returning to Earth. The crewmembers are anxious to get home, and ennui pervades the ship. The mood is broken by a series of mysterious events that jeopardize their safety. Someone or something is threatening the crew. Is it an alien being? A psychotic crewmember? A malfunctioning computer? The truth raises questions about the crewmembers’ fate and that of the human race.
In this novel, the intent is to show real psychological issues that could affect a crew returning from a long-duration mission to Mars. The storyline presents a mystery that keeps the listener guessing, yet the issues at stake are based on the findings from the author’s research and other space-related work over the past forty-plus years. The novel touches on actual plans being discussed for such an expedition as well as notions involving the search for Martian life and panspermia. The underlying science, in particular the psychological, psychiatric, and interpersonal elements, are introduced and discussed by the author.
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“The book is successful in illustrating the psychological stresses that may be expected to develop among human crews participating in long-duration space missions, and in highlighting the importance of taking planetary-protection protocols seriously. Anyone with an interest in the future of space exploration is likely to find it a thought-provoking read.”
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The Observatory