Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account from Curiosity's Chief Engineer

Manning, Rob; Simon, William L.

ISBN 10: 1481501054 ISBN 13: 9781481501057

Publisher: Blackstone Pub, 2014

Synopsis

In the course of our enduring quest for knowledge about ourselves and our universe, we havent found answers to one of our most fundamental questions: Does life exist anywhere else in the universe? Ten years and billions of dollars in the making, the Mars rover Curiosity is poised to answer this all-important question.Here, Rob Manning, the projects chief engineer, tells of bringing the groundbreaking spacecraft to life. Manning and his team at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, tasked with designing a lander many times larger and more complex than any before, faced technical setbacks, fights over inadequate resources, and the challenges of leading an army of brilliant, passionate, and often frustrated experts.Mannings fascinating personal account—which includes information from his exclusive interviews with leading Curiosity scientists—is packed with tales of revolutionary feats of science, technology, and engineering. Listeners experience firsthand the disappointment at encountering persistent technical problems, the agony of near defeat, the sense of victory at finding innovative solutions to these problems, the sheer terror of staking careers and reputations on a lander that couldnt be tested on Earth, and the rush of triumph at its successful touchdown on Mars on August 5, 2012. This is the story of persistence, dedication, and unrelenting curiosity.

About this title

Review

'This is a matchless behind-the-scenes account of intrepid engineers and scientists that banded together to explore far-away Mars. Fueled by their own inquisitiveness and moxie they overcame all odds technical problems, bureaucratic barriers, even touches of self-doubt to successfully land the NASA one-ton Curiosity rover on the Red Planet. It is a superb, fact and fun-filled account of humans on the cutting-edge of opening up a frontier one that is our future home-away-from-home, Mars.' - Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut

'This is a captivating story of hurling machines of exploration to Mars told by a top flight engineer that s leading the charge in planting the first human footprints on the Red Planet.' - Leonard David, Space.com, Space Insider Columnist

Rob Manning has produced a personal history of Mars Rover Curiosity that records for all time the complex personnal and engineering interactions required to successfully navigate the design, management and flight complexities of a mission at the frontiers of planetary exploration. We now have an outstanding record of the this process and the lessons learned along the way. This work, ably assisted by William Simon, joins the library of the best of personal stories, progressively documenting humankind s migration away from Earth. -  Former NASA astronaut and U.S. Senator, Harrison Jack Schmitt 

--Various

'In Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account From Curiosity's Chief Engineer, he (Rob Manning)and science writer William L. Simon describe a committed, collegial bunch of guys doing some pretty amazing science.' - The Washington Post

'In Mars Rover Curiosity, Manning and coauthor Simon offer a firsthand account of designing the most complex piece of machinery ever to land on another planet. Starting with a harebrained scheme and ending with a drive across the red dust of Gale Crater, the book deftly guides readers through the many setbacks, victories and difficult decisions that came with planning an interplanetary mission.' - Science News

'...the book offers a detailed, compelling tale of the rover s development from someone who was at the center of the effort. For those who want to know how the spacecraft sausage is made, this is the book for you.' - The Space Review

'Manning s just published account of years at NASA s venerable Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), co-written with best-selling non-fiction author William L. Simon, will resonate most with those who want an excellent inside take on the rigorous and often arduous task of designing interplanetary landers and the eureka moments that affords. Manning deserves credit for bringing his own sense of candor and humility to the prose.' - Forbes

--Various

About the Author

ROB MANNING has worked at NASA and Caltech s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for more than 30 years. He now leads the engineering for the Mars Program Office and is chief engineer on a project to develop technologies for landing even larger robotic vehicles on Mars with hopes of eventually landing future astronauts and scientists there. WILLIAM L. SIMON is the author of 30 books including iCon: Steve Jobs and Ghost in the Wires, both New York Times and international bestsellers.

Edition details

• Publisher: Blackstone Pub
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1481501054
• ISBN 13: 9781481501057
• Binding: Preloaded Digital Audio Player