The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity

cover art
Author: Elizabeth Rusch
Material Type: Book
Place a Hold
Summary:

 When Steve Squyres was thirteen years old, watching the first person walk on the moon, he never thought that he would one day be part of a record-breaking space mission himself. It wasn't until college that he first saw strange and beautiful photographs of Mars -- a planet that hadn't been explored and wasn't understood--and knew immediately what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Steve is the man behind Spirit and Opportunity, the twin vehicles called rovers who have been cruising around the red planet since 2003. Scientists hoped that the little robots would bring them a few steps closer to answering the question people have asked for so long: is there life on other planets? The mission was supposed to last three months. But the rovers still soldier on, years later, tens of millions of miles away from home, in what may well be the most successful space mission ever. What was it like to come up with the idea for these rovers? And what sort of challenges did Steve and his team face? In this nail-biting and eye-opening entry in the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, author Elizabeth Rusch takes readers behind the scenes and straight into mission control -- where it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Running out of power, getting stuck in ditches, becoming lost in dust storms -- Spirit and Opportunity faced numerous challenges, and each time, Steve and his talented colleagues devised a way to solve the problems facing their beloved rovers. If you ever wondered if robotic cars could make a room full of adults laugh, cry, and shout for joy, then your answer is here. And for every child who looks up into the dark night and wonders if he or she might solve some of the mysteries of our universe, Steve's story is nothing short of inspiring. With amazing photos from NASA and Steve's personal collection, this is a perfect addition to our already-stellar Scientists in the Field series.

 

Staff Review:
     With the landing of Curiosity, the United States robotic rover that landed on Mars to gather samples and photographs of the planet, interest in the search for evidence of life on Mars was rekindled.  In The Mighty Mars Rovers, youths and adults alike can learn about the history of the exploration of Mars. Robots have brought insight into the makeup and geological history of the planet. Meet Steven Squyers, principal science investigator, as he grows from a teenage boy building robots to sending his robots to explore Mars’ surface.
     This highly informative book covers the exploration of Mars from the early Mariner 9 spacecraft photographs as it circled Mars.  When the Viking 1 and Viking 2 landed on Mars to collect samples, Steven knew “exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life”.  He wanted to build and send a robot rover to Mars that would be able to move across the surface of Mars and collect samples of many areas.   He stubbornly wrote proposals to NASA for eight years, never giving up, and was finally  successful and asked to design two rovers. 
     If you are inventive and curious about Mars or science in general, this book will not only inspire you to never give up your ambition but will also share photographs and information that will teach you about the makeup of Mars and the possibility of life on the planet. 

-- by Diane W.