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Title details for Interplanetary Robots by Rod Pyle - Available

Interplanetary Robots

True Stories of Space Exploration

by Rod Pyle
ebook
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2 of 2 copies available
A NASA insider tells the exciting story of robotic space missions to explore the solar system. Exploring the planets has been a goal of America's space program since the dawn of the space race. This insider's perspective examines incredible missions of robotic spacecraft to every corner of our solar system and beyond. Some were flown into glory, while others were planned and relegated to dusty filing cabinets. All were remarkable in their aspirations. Award-winning science writer Rod Pyle profiles both the remarkable spacecraft and the amazing scientists and engineers who made them possible. From the earliest sprints past Venus and Mars to Voyager1's current explorations of the space between the stars, this exciting book sheds new light on ever-more ambitious journeys designed to increase the human reach into the solar system. Drawing on his perspective as a writer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ground zero for NASA's planetary exploration, the author further details plans now in development to look for signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa, submarines that will dive into the hazy hydrocarbon lakes of Saturn's moon Titan, and intelligent spacecraft that will operate for months without human intervention on Mars and in the outer solar system well into the 2030s. Equally compelling are programs of exploration that were considered but never left the drawing board, such as automobile-sized biology laboratories designed for a Mars landing in the 1960s and plans to detonate atomic bombs on the moon. Complemented by many rarely-seen photos and illustrations, these stories of incredible engineering achievements, daring imaginations, and technological genius will fascinate and inspire.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 26, 2019

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781633885035

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781633885035
      • File size: 10339 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      December 15, 2018
      Pyle, author of a handful of books about space exploration (including Destination Moon, 2005), zeroes in on an aspect of the American space program that sometimes gets overlooked: the unmanned missions into the solar system. It was an unmanned spacecraft, Sputnik, that jump-started the U.S.' space program, and it is unmanned probes that are bringing back some of today's most startling images of the other planets (and their moons) in our neighborhood. In a writing style that is about as far from boring science textbook as you can imagine, Pyle takes us through the history of unmanned space exploration, and it's a surprisingly action-packed story. The space race really was a race, back in the day?beating the Soviets was not so much a goal as a political imperative. That aspect is long gone, but, even now, when a probe is approaching its destination, there are still moments of nail-biting suspense. A captivating history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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