TIME Mission to Mars

The prospect of sending a manned mission to Mars and even colonizing the planet is capturing the imagination of NASA and space entrepreneurs. A noble goal, or an expensive folly? TIME's special edition takes you inside the science and the debate. Just getting to Mars will be an amazing technical feat, traveling 35 million miles on a nine-month journey. This edition explores:

* How American astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station to measure the effects of prolonged space travel

* The exciting technology being developed to make the journey to Mars

* Buzz Aldrin's plans for establishing a permanent settlement on the Red Planet