This is a detailed history of unmanned missions of exploration of our Solar System, one of three volumes providing comprehensive coverage of the topic with thousands of references. Coverage includes missions from the 1950s until the present day.

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.

The 3-volume series will provide comprehensive coverage with thousands of references to the professional literature that should make it the 'first port of call' for people seeking information on the topic Emphasises 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, which may still be proven and useful in the future Describes the technical rivalry between the US and Soviet Union in the development of launchers

Autorentext

Paolo Ulivi was born in Florence, Italy and graduated from the Politecnico di Milano University with a thesis on robotics for Mars sample return missions. He works as a consultant in aerospace structures in Toulouse, France. In his free time, he researches the history of astronautics, astronomy, aeronautics and the Cold War. He is also an amateur astronomer and specializes in Solar System observations.

David Harland studied astronomy to degree level, and pursued a career lecturing in computer science, and academic and industrial research. In 1995, David "retired" to resume his interest in spaec and started to write. He has over two dozen books published to date, a majority of them with Springer/Praxis and several others under contract. These days he considers himself to be an amateur hermit and a professional space historian.

Klappentext

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.

Inhalt

(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.