Moving to Mars: Building a Colony on the Red Planet

by Eduard Altarriba, Sheddad Kaid-Salah Ferrón, Guillem Anglada-Escudé, Miquel Sureda Anfres =

Overview

Moving to Mars is an illustrated book that uses science, technology and imagination to present what the future of space travel to the Red Planet might look like and exploration of the lives of its first settlers.

The human race’s desire to explore the boundaries of the known world drove our ancestors to climb the tallest mountains, conquer the poles and cross vast uncharted oceans before ultimately reaching out into space in the 1960s. Huge rockets were built to allow our space pioneers to travel beyond Earth’s orbit and land on the Moon.

But there is another frontier that we have yet to set foot on – Mars. The Red Planet is our next destination; it will be a long process, starting with small scientific bases hidden among craters and ending with enormous self-sustaining cities. But what will the journey from Earth to Mars be like? What will we find when we land? Where will we get oxygen and food? In this book, you will find answers to all these questions about day-to-day life in a Martian city. Mars offers us the opportunity to start anew – are you ready for lift-off? 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787081581
Publisher:	Button Books
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Eduard Altarriba is a graphic designer and illustrator. He runs Alababalà, a studio producing games, exhibitions, animation, apps and practical and fun workbooks for children. He has illustrated a number of books published by GMC Publications including, Discovering Architecture, Discovering Energy, My First Book of Electromagnetism, My First Book of Microbes, My First Book of Quantum Physics, My First Book of Relativity, My First Book of the Cosmos, What is War?, Migrants, Politics and Economics.

Sheddad Kaid-Salah Ferrón is a science and physics enthusiast with degrees in physics and pharmacy. Since graduation he has been teaching science to children, continuing to study physics, working in the pharmaceutical field and staring at the universe with his telescope. He now writes popular science books. Sheddad and Eduard Altarriba are an award-winning illustrator and author duo and have written a number of books published by GMC Publications including My First Book of Electromagnetism, My First Book of Quantum Physics, My First Book of Relativity and My First Book of the Cosmos.

Guillem Anglada-Escudé is a doctor and researcher in astrophysics and an expert in observational astronomy and the search for life beyond Earth. In 2016, he led the team that discovered Proxima B, an earth-size planet orbiting our nearest star, Proxima Centauri.  He has worked in academic institutions and in collaboration with museums and international organizations throughout the world.

Miquel Sureda Anfres is a physicist and doctor in aerospace engineering at the Universityat Politècnica de Catalunya. He specializes in research into space exploration and sustainable planetary settlements. He dedicates his free time to teaching science to a mainstream audience through his Gaia Ciencia project.

Table of Contents

4 Myths
6 Mars and Earth: Sister Planets
8 Phobos and Deimos
10 Solar Wind
12 Cosmic Radiation
14 The Atmosphere
16 The Climate
18 Water
20 A Hard-to-Reach Destination
22 Orbits
24 A Bit of Orbital Mechanics
26 The Launch and the Spacecraft
28 Playing with Gravity
30 Future Voyages
32 Establishing Base Zero
36 A City on Mars
38 Housing
40 The Cost Per Citizen
42 Communal Living
44 Energy
46 Parks and Green Spaces
48 The Martian Diet
50 Transport
52 Society
54 Terraforming

Editorial Reviews

"An inspirational book for future travellers and explorers...All the diagrams are clear and well designed, and the illustrations are inspiring. They show a future vision of what humankind will be able to achieve. This book will be sure to spark the imagination of readers. Not just future scientists, but explorers and travellers too. A great addition to school libraries and classrooms."—Just Imagine

"A scintillating piece of #nonfictionforkids...A fresh look at the red planet from the past, present and future"—@giftbookblogger

"This non fiction book uses science, technology and imagination to present what the future of space travel to Mars might look like and exploration of the lives of its first settlers"—@the_treasure_outdoors

"an incredible non-fiction book looking at how future generations might make their home on mars...incredible fascinating and informative."—@raisingsmallreaders

"Moving to Mars is a fascinating and informative exploration into how future generations could call Mars home. Based on the latest scientific research, this book will take you on a journey that is out of this world."—@posies_book_club

"This beautifully illustrated book dives into everything from the journey to Mars, surviving the harsh landscape, to building self-sustaining cities. It answers big questions: Where will we live? What will we eat? How do we make oxygen? With a mix of science, stunning visuals, and a touch of wonder, this book makes space colonisation feel more real than ever. If you’re fascinated by space or just love dreaming big, this is a must-read!"—@booksb4bedtime

"the book encourages the link between STEM and imaginative thinking outside the box. Nurturing problem solvers of the future."—@mylittlebrightsparks

"a great children's book to support a space topic, that also brings in some more in depth physics"—@mini.midnight.reads

From the Publisher