Did water ever exist on Mars? In 2003, two rovers were sent to find out. Their mission was expected to last for three months. Years later, it was still going strong. Author’s note. Mission update. Sources. Chapter notes. Suggestions for further information. Glossary. Index. Full-color photographs and illustrations.
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[STARRED REVIEW]
Rusch covers not only the scientific aspects of Mars exploration but also the personalities of the people who made it happen, and profiles the rovers themselves, Spirit and Opportunity. Her comprehensive research shines through in her detailed style as she zeroes in on the behind-the-scenes efforts of launching a scientific mission. Full-color photographs on every page in this picture-book-size volume illuminate the Mars surface and the faces of the scientists as they agonize over communication difficulties and computer glitches and exult over the thrill of discovery. The lists of websites, archives, multimedia, and sources may inspire readers to follow in the footsteps of Steve Squyres—mission leader. The glossary is brief but helpful in unscrambling some of the “alphabet soup” of acronyms and nicknames (e.g., ATLO—Assembly, Test and Launch Operations and Pancam—Panoramic Camera) as well as scientific terms (e.g., Sol—one Martian day, or 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds in Earth time) used throughout. Terms and photographs are indexed. This detailed look at planning, implementing, maintaining, and troubleshooting a highly complex scientific mission puts a human face on an incredible accomplishment.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
[STARRED REVIEW]
The spectacularly successful, scientifically groundbreaking 2004 Mars Exploration Rover Mission provided compelling evidence for the possibility of water on Mars. It was a public relations triumph as well, due in no small part to the appeal of the two “little” rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, vehicles that embody much of what we find appealing in space explorers: extraordinary toughness and diligent attention to demanding scientific tasks. Those characteristics, too, are displayed by the mission’s principal scientist, Steve Squyres, whose reflections frame Rusch’s excellent history of events. The comprehensive text chronicles the almost-decade-long series of rejections of Squyres’s scientific proposals for Martian exploration through the demanding timeline to design, test, build, and launch the project, the initial thrill of success, and the years of subsequent data collection. Rusch’s account skillfully captures the exciting quest for knowledge that drives Squyres and his team through the leaps and setbacks of scientific exploration. Equally compelling are the images of Mars (mainly from the rovers, but also some from past missions) as well as photographs of Squyres and his colleagues hard at work. Some of the landscapes are superimposed with photos of rovers to give a sense of what they might look like on the surface (only a few camera images from near the landers are real); the photos also convey what a significant engineering accomplishment it was to get the rovers there and keep them functioning for so long.