In the Nebula Award-winning writer of Timescapeand Foundation’s Fear comes a hard-science thriller about the competition toMars.

When an explosion of the rocket starting the MarsTransit Vehicle kills four crewmen, the united states decides to redirect its energies tonear-Earth projects, killing the manned mission to Mars. But tycoon JohnAxelrod assembles a consortium to invest in the project, and he expects to netbillions. But a European-Asian airbus will make an identical expedition. Right now, therace is to reach the Red Globe first.