Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Part 3: The Modern Era 1997-2009 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

Annotation Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide in Robotic Exploration of the Solar System a detailed history of unmanned missions of exploration of our Solar System. The subject is treated from an engineering and scientific standpoint. Technical descriptions of the spacecraft, of their mission designs and of instrumentations are provided. Scientific results are discussed in considerable depth, together with details of mission management. The project will deliver four volumes totaling over 2,000 pages that will provide comprehensive coverage of the topic with thousands of references to the professional literature that should make it the 'first port of call' for people seeking information on the topic. The books will cover missions from the 1950s until the present day, and some of the latest missions and their results will appear in a popular science book for the first time Pt. 3. Wows and woes, 1997-2003. In Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide a comprehensive account of the design and managment of deep-space missions, the spacecraft involved - some flown, others not - their instruments, and their scientific results. This third volume in the series covers launches in the period 1997 to 2003 and features: a chapter entirely devoted to the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn; coverage of planetary missions of the period, including the Deep Space 1 mission and the Stardust and Hayabusa sample returns from comets and asteroids; extensive coverage of Mars exploration, the failed 1999 missions, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity. The story will continue in Part 4 The 4-volume series provides comprehensive coverage with thousands of references to the professional literature Emphasizes the technology of space probes -- Comprehensive coverage ranges from the earliest planetary probes to the most recent planetary flights and missions -- Provides multilingual references (including Chinese, Russian, Czech, French, Italian) -- Details many unflown and unfulfilled missions -- Describes the technical rivalry between the US and Soviet Union in the development of launches. In Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide a comprehensive account of the design and managment of deep-space missions, the spacecraft involved - some flown, others not - their instruments, and their scientific results Pt. 1. The golden age, 1957-1982. This fascinating book is a must-have text for space enthusiasts with an engineering bent. It is a detailed history of unmanned missions that have explored our solar system. The subject is treated wherever possible from an engineering and scientific standpoint and includes technical descriptions of the spacecraft, their mission designs and their instrumentations. Scientific results are discussed in depth, together with details of mission management. The book is fantastically comprehensive, covering missions and results from the 1950s right up to the present day. Some of the latest missions and their results appear in a popular science book for the first time Pt. 2. Hiatus and renewal, 1983-1996. "In this thick, heavy tome, Mr. Harland and co-author Paolo Ulivi turn their exceptional narrative skills, technical knowledge and attention to detail to the story of American, Soviet and European unmanned planetary missions ... the presentation of the material is outstanding. ... I never found this volume to be at all boring. About 250 illustrations perfectly complement the text ... and all of them clearly and usefully captioned. If you want to know something about unmanned planetary exploration, this is the book for you." (Terry Sunday, Amazon, August, 2011) Pt. 4. The modern era, 2004-2013. Coverage of the Rosetta and Curiosity missions ; coverage of Mars missions including Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix and Fobos-Grunt ; coverage of planetary missions including the Deep Impactcometary mission, the Messenger Mercury orbiter, the New Horizons Pluto flyby and the Juno Jupiter orbitor; a complete description of the Chinese Chang'e 2 asteroid flyby mission ; coverage of future missions including the European BepiColombo Mercury orbiter and international plans to revisit moons of Jupiter and Saturn (In Part 1) Introduction.- Chapter 1: The beginning.- Chapter 2: Of landers and orbiters.- Chapter 3: The grandest tour.- (In Part 2) Chapter 4: The decade of Halley.- Chapter 5: The era of flagships.- Chapter 6: Faster, cheaper, better.- (Now in Part 3) Foreword.- Author's Preface.- Acknowledgments.- Chapter 7: The last flagship.- Chapter 8: Faster, cheaper, better continues.- Chapter 9: Mars invaded.- Glossary.- Appendices.- Chapter references.- Further reading.- Previous volumes in this series.- Index. Presents a history of unmanned missions of exploration of our Solar System. This book provides technical descriptions of the spacecraft, of their mission designs and of instrumentations. It discusses scientific results together with details of mission management. It covers missions from the 1950s and some of the other missions and their results