Robert Zubrin

Lore & Background

Robert Zubrin was born in Brooklyn, New York City on April 9, 1952. His father was descended from Russian Jewish immigrants. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Rochester in 1974, then worked as a science teacher for seven years before becoming an engineer. He later earned an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering (1984), an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1986), and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (1992), all from the University of Washington. He was awarded his first patent at age 20 in 1972 for Three-player chess.

Zubrin and his colleague David Baker at Martin Marietta were the driving force behind Mars Direct, a 1990 research paper that proposed using the Martian atmosphere to produce oxygen, water, and rocket propellant. A modified version of the plan was adopted by NASA as a design reference mission. He questions the delay and cost-to-benefit ratio of first establishing a base on an asteroid or returning to the Moon, as neither would provide its own oxygen, water, or energy, while these resources are producible on Mars. Disappointed with government lack of interest, and after the success of his 1996 book The Case for Mars, Zubrin founded the Mars Society in 1998, an international organization advocating a human mission to Mars, by private funding if possible.

Reader's Guide

Robert Zubrin's significance lies in his persistent advocacy for a human mission to Mars, particularly through the Mars Direct proposal, which influenced NASA's planning. His work at Martin Marietta and later as president of the Mars Society and Pioneer Astronautics has kept the goal of Mars colonization in public and scientific discourse. He has authored over 200 technical and non-technical papers and several books, including The Case for Mars and Entering Space. Zubrin also advocates for U.S. space superiority, arguing that control of space is key to victory on Earth. His inventions include the nuclear salt-water rocket and the magnetic sail. The Mars Society's work encouraged the U.S. government not to cut funding for several Mars rover missions. Zubrin's ethical stance is moderately anthropocentric, favoring human exploration over potential indigenous Martian life, as debated with colleague Christopher McKay.

Did You Know?

• He founded the Mars Society in 1998 after the success of his book The Case for Mars.
• Zubrin is the co-inventor of the nuclear salt-water rocket and the magnetic sail.
• He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Washington (1992).