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Interplanetary Robots: True Stories of Space Exploration
A NASA insider tells the exciting story of robotic space missions to explore the solar system.Exploring the planets has been a goal of America's space program since the dawn of the space race. This insider's perspective examines incredible missions of robotic spacecraft to every corner of our solar system and beyond. Some were flown into glory, while others were planned and relegated to dusty filing cabinets. All were remarkable in their aspirations.Award-winning science writer Rod Pyle profiles both the remarkable spacecraft and the amazing scientists and engineers who made them possible. From the earliest sprints past Venus and Mars to Voyager1's current explorations of the space between the stars, this exciting book sheds new light on ever-more ambitious journeys designed to increase the human reach into the solar system. Drawing on his perspective as a writer for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ground zero for NASA's planetary exploration, the author further details plans now in development to look for signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa, submarines that will dive into the hazy hydrocarbon lakes of Saturn's moon Titan, and intelligent spacecraft that will operate for months without human intervention on Mars and in the outer solar system well into the 2030s. Equally compelling are programs of exploration that were considered but never left the drawing board, such as automobile-sized biology laboratories designed for a Mars landing in the 1960s and plans to detonate atomic bombs on the moon.Complemented by many rarely-seen photos and illustrations, these stories of incredible engineering achievements, daring imaginations, and technological genius will fascinate and inspire.
320 pages, Paperback
Published January 29, 2019
15 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Rod Pyle
21 books70 followersRod is the author of 15 nonfiction books (plus three for NASA) on his favorite subject, space exploration and technology. He tracks this fascination back to childhood, when his introversion led him to spend countless hours watching rocket launches, moonwalks and science fiction (which often led to truancy, countenanced by an understanding mother). While his contemporaries revered football players (basketball was not really a "thing" yet), he wanted nothing more than to become an astronaut. He now realizes that breaking into a sweat when it takes the elevator doors a few moments too long to open probably makes him a poor candidate for spaceflight.
While Rod actually attended seven colleges and universities in the search of the perfect major, he ended up getting a BA at the Art Center College of Design in film (because only poetry is less likely to get you a job), and an MA from Stanford University (where the weather is even better).
He lives in Pasadena, CA but dreams of azure seas and tropical shores.
While Rod actually attended seven colleges and universities in the search of the perfect major, he ended up getting a BA at the Art Center College of Design in film (because only poetry is less likely to get you a job), and an MA from Stanford University (where the weather is even better).
He lives in Pasadena, CA but dreams of azure seas and tropical shores.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 20, 2019
This is certainly an interesting book if you're a big space fan, or rather, a big space nerd. Admittedly, I am a big space fan - but I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm a space nerd. I would love to be one, but I guess I lack either the enthusiasm or just the ability to remember enough factual detail to be one. And that's why I liked it, but didn't quite love it - this is a book for the true space nerd. Being a space fan won't cut it - a lot of this stuff, while being very interesting, will nonetheless fly over your head.
But even despite that, the book was interesting and there's a lot of cool information in it. For example, did you know the US wanted to blow up a nuke on the moon in the 50s just to show how high and mighty they were? (Scary to think what could have happened had they, say, nudged it's orbit or something... Maybe it's the scifi nerd in me talking, but who's to say what the effects could have been?) And did you know that Americans once nicked a Russian Luna probe during the night while it was on expo display, disassembled it to see how it works, and put it back together with no one the wiser? Industrial espionage at its best. (I was slightly surprised it wasn't the Soviets, but the Americans who did something like that.) Also, did you know that the first people to take photos of the dark side of the moon were the Soviets?
This book discusses a lot of stuff like this that a lot of the general public might not know - how cameras came to be installed in probes (photography was important as a tool to show where the people's money went, but they weren't always easy to install tech for, or to convince superiors that they were needed) or that the idea of Mars basically died in a single day, when they learned there were no canals as Mariner took photos and ended all debate. There are a lot of interesting facts about photos taken of the moon, of the Earth, and how missions like Voyager or Galileo were planned and executed. An awesome part is that NASA's future plans are also included! And let me tell you, some of them sound like scifi indeed (my favorite is that they're planning to make and send a completely clockwork robot to Venus because nothing else can work there due to the incredible heat. Go figure!)
Anyway, long story short. the history is definitely very interesting. The only question is whether you're space nerd enough to keep reading and make sense of all the facts! If you are, you'll definitely enjoy the book.
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But even despite that, the book was interesting and there's a lot of cool information in it. For example, did you know the US wanted to blow up a nuke on the moon in the 50s just to show how high and mighty they were? (Scary to think what could have happened had they, say, nudged it's orbit or something... Maybe it's the scifi nerd in me talking, but who's to say what the effects could have been?) And did you know that Americans once nicked a Russian Luna probe during the night while it was on expo display, disassembled it to see how it works, and put it back together with no one the wiser? Industrial espionage at its best. (I was slightly surprised it wasn't the Soviets, but the Americans who did something like that.) Also, did you know that the first people to take photos of the dark side of the moon were the Soviets?
This book discusses a lot of stuff like this that a lot of the general public might not know - how cameras came to be installed in probes (photography was important as a tool to show where the people's money went, but they weren't always easy to install tech for, or to convince superiors that they were needed) or that the idea of Mars basically died in a single day, when they learned there were no canals as Mariner took photos and ended all debate. There are a lot of interesting facts about photos taken of the moon, of the Earth, and how missions like Voyager or Galileo were planned and executed. An awesome part is that NASA's future plans are also included! And let me tell you, some of them sound like scifi indeed (my favorite is that they're planning to make and send a completely clockwork robot to Venus because nothing else can work there due to the incredible heat. Go figure!)
Anyway, long story short. the history is definitely very interesting. The only question is whether you're space nerd enough to keep reading and make sense of all the facts! If you are, you'll definitely enjoy the book.
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December 28, 2018
Engaging history of interplanetary probes from the earliest moonshots to current missions to Mars, with some intriguing looks forward to possible future missions. It was spoiled by three things. First, the absence of any account of the recent New Horizons Pluto flyby, which is unforgivable in a book published in 2019. Second, the use of the Fahrenheit temperature scale. I know Americans are wedded to this, but in a book about space, when temperatures are so extreme, it's as ridiculous these days as measuring distance in cubits and spans. Why oh why oh why can't U.S. authors get used to Centigrade, or Kelvin? Third, the writing style. I admit this is a matter of personal preference, but it was far too slangy and vernacular for my taste, without a shred of elegance. The subject deserves better.
December 14, 2019
An enjoyable read about the human and robotic endeavor to explore space and the planets of our solar system and eventually beyond. I learned some fascinating things about the early space program that I didn't know and things about the future programs that I want to follow. I've been interested in space since I was little. This book makes me feel like an explorer. I crawled into bed a little early each night to read about the stars and beyond.
January 19, 2019
Pyle is an unabashed JPL fanboy. He grew up near there, he sneaked into JPL to witness the landing of Viking 1 as a student, he covered the landing of Curiosity there as a member of the media, and he witnessed the end of the Cassini mission as an employee. This history of robotic interplanetary missions is peppered with his own personal anecdotes and impressions of the people of JPL. It's an enjoyable read. The multi chapter topics that dominate are about Voyager and Curiosity (and the rovers in general), and several other missions get their own chapters. There are fascinating tidbits about missions that I hadn't heard before, missions that didn't happen or haven't happened yet. It isn't exhaustive; there are several missions that go without mention. He focuses on landers -- I could be wrong but I think he covered all American landers as well as several Russian ones. Lots of amazing lander technology descriptions. Lots of enthusiastic marveling at both what NASA has been able to do and all the mistakes and complications and unplanned struggles along the way. A really fun read.
I got a copy to read from the publisher through Edelweiss.
I got a copy to read from the publisher through Edelweiss.
March 27, 2021
Rod Pyle is passionate about all things interplanetary and beyond. His wonderful exploration of the history of robotic exploration of our solar system is fantastic. He expertly balances a great amount of detail with his appealing writing style. This is a writer with a feel for story telling and he masterfully weaves the raw facts with the backstories of mankind’s intrepid robotic interplanetary missions. There is great joy for me in learning about programs outside the USA while discovering facts regarding our brilliant interplanetary programs and the JPL storied history.
I thought my reading regarding NASA had provided a solid foundation regarding our space exploration history, but learned how much I didn’t know about the broader scope that includes JPL. The brilliant teams at JPL were formed during WWII to counter the German developmemt of jets and rocketry. The history of our unmanned robotic exploration created and manufactured by the brainiacs of Caltech and beholding to NASA budgets and administration could be a book unto itself. In fact David Brown writes exclusively about JPL in my next reading on the subject in his highly acclaimed book : ‘The Mission.’
I thought my reading regarding NASA had provided a solid foundation regarding our space exploration history, but learned how much I didn’t know about the broader scope that includes JPL. The brilliant teams at JPL were formed during WWII to counter the German developmemt of jets and rocketry. The history of our unmanned robotic exploration created and manufactured by the brainiacs of Caltech and beholding to NASA budgets and administration could be a book unto itself. In fact David Brown writes exclusively about JPL in my next reading on the subject in his highly acclaimed book : ‘The Mission.’
July 16, 2020
This book was surprisingly readable for a history that is sort of a laundry list of space missions. Partly it accomplishes this by a deft intermingling of chronological and topical trains of thought with good segues between them. It wasn't exactly a page turner, but it wasn't a bore. The attempts at humor fell flat but were not generally obnoxious.
This book is really a love letter to JPL. It reads like a pamphlet they would give to a congressman voting on appropriations. Any setbacks are the fault of congress, upper NASA management, or blind bad luck. Any successes no matter how serendipitous are the richly deserved fruit of careful development and hard work.
A particularly strange thing is that while freely discussing, and frankly exaggerating, the success of non-US space missions, it is essentially silent on US robotic missions not developed by JPL. While some editorial selection is needed and JPL has had the lion's share of the big ticket missions, certain oversights are hard to explain which makes me suspicious about motivations tied to internecine turf wars over funding among the US-based builders of space robots. For example, while going on and on about the value of completing the reconnaissance of the outer planets with Voyager, New Horizons is mentioned only parenthetically (built by APL at John Hopkins). For the record, I think New Horizons is over-hyped (see my review of Stern's memoir about it), but it almost seemed like more work to avoid mentioning it, particularly its potential to provide the first robotic study of kuiper belt objects beyond Pluto. Similarly I don't recall the recently-completed MESSENGER, first ever orbiter of Mercury (also by APL), being mentioned at all although Europe's BepiColombo mission to Mercury does get coverage. When discussing near future results of robotic missions, Japan's Hayabusa 2 sample return mission gets coverage, but no mention at all is made of Osiris-Rex (built by Lockheed).
This book is really a love letter to JPL. It reads like a pamphlet they would give to a congressman voting on appropriations. Any setbacks are the fault of congress, upper NASA management, or blind bad luck. Any successes no matter how serendipitous are the richly deserved fruit of careful development and hard work.
A particularly strange thing is that while freely discussing, and frankly exaggerating, the success of non-US space missions, it is essentially silent on US robotic missions not developed by JPL. While some editorial selection is needed and JPL has had the lion's share of the big ticket missions, certain oversights are hard to explain which makes me suspicious about motivations tied to internecine turf wars over funding among the US-based builders of space robots. For example, while going on and on about the value of completing the reconnaissance of the outer planets with Voyager, New Horizons is mentioned only parenthetically (built by APL at John Hopkins). For the record, I think New Horizons is over-hyped (see my review of Stern's memoir about it), but it almost seemed like more work to avoid mentioning it, particularly its potential to provide the first robotic study of kuiper belt objects beyond Pluto. Similarly I don't recall the recently-completed MESSENGER, first ever orbiter of Mercury (also by APL), being mentioned at all although Europe's BepiColombo mission to Mercury does get coverage. When discussing near future results of robotic missions, Japan's Hayabusa 2 sample return mission gets coverage, but no mention at all is made of Osiris-Rex (built by Lockheed).
April 12, 2019
This was a fascinating book to read. It provides a detailed history of all the various interplanetary robot machines sent out by the United States, Russia and other countries to explore the planets and moons in our solar system. I was particularly surprised to learn about all the Russian expeditions to Mars that I never heard of.
It was also very interesting to hear about the explorations of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 which sent back amazing photos and scientific observations about Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. I was also surprised to find out how many moons these planets have - Jupiter has 79 moons, Uranus 27 and Neptune 14. I also thought Saturn was the only planet that has rings, only to find out that Neptune has 5 rings.
Mankind‘s ability to design machines to navigate/operate hundreds of millions of miles away, under extreme conditions of cold and radiation is amazing. I highly recommend this book to readers who want to learn more about our space exploration efforts.
It was also very interesting to hear about the explorations of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 which sent back amazing photos and scientific observations about Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. I was also surprised to find out how many moons these planets have - Jupiter has 79 moons, Uranus 27 and Neptune 14. I also thought Saturn was the only planet that has rings, only to find out that Neptune has 5 rings.
Mankind‘s ability to design machines to navigate/operate hundreds of millions of miles away, under extreme conditions of cold and radiation is amazing. I highly recommend this book to readers who want to learn more about our space exploration efforts.
February 1, 2022
An immensely enjoyable account of robotic space exploration of the solar system. It gives entertaining accounts of what probes visited what planets, and some of the people and politics behind them. The author also gives his personal account of being at mission control alongside other journalists as they are waiting for touchdown of the mars rovers. Makes you want to be there too.
The book covers the early Mariner probes that visited Mercury and Mars; the Venera (Soviet) probes that visited Venus; Ranger probes that visited (crashed into) the moon; Viking probes that visited Mars; the Pioneer, Voyager, and Galileo probes that visited Jupiter; the Cassini probe that visited Saturn and it's moon Titan; and the Voyager 1 and 2 probes that are the only vessels to visit Uranus and Neptune. This and much more!
The book covers the early Mariner probes that visited Mercury and Mars; the Venera (Soviet) probes that visited Venus; Ranger probes that visited (crashed into) the moon; Viking probes that visited Mars; the Pioneer, Voyager, and Galileo probes that visited Jupiter; the Cassini probe that visited Saturn and it's moon Titan; and the Voyager 1 and 2 probes that are the only vessels to visit Uranus and Neptune. This and much more!
June 10, 2025
A captivating read about all things rockets, rovers, orbiters etc. I kinda thought I knew a thing or two about these things, but I was grossly mistaken.
Three things of note: 1) This is not a space race book. Yes, a considerable part of the book covers the 60s, but it doesn’t go into enormous detail. I recommend One Giant Leap (Fishman) to get the deets. 2) It’s not just about the robots, it’s about the missions themselves, discoveries made, planning that went into them etc. This is not a bad thing, quite the opposite. 3) The book only covers events up until 2017 or so. It often refers to plans for the 2020s, which is now - I sometimes wondered if these went as planned, but I’d have to Google this every single time. Let’s hope for a second edition with some updates.
Three things of note: 1) This is not a space race book. Yes, a considerable part of the book covers the 60s, but it doesn’t go into enormous detail. I recommend One Giant Leap (Fishman) to get the deets. 2) It’s not just about the robots, it’s about the missions themselves, discoveries made, planning that went into them etc. This is not a bad thing, quite the opposite. 3) The book only covers events up until 2017 or so. It often refers to plans for the 2020s, which is now - I sometimes wondered if these went as planned, but I’d have to Google this every single time. Let’s hope for a second edition with some updates.
March 24, 2020
For more then seven decades robots are wandering among plants and beyond. They are providing us, humans, with knowledge of our surroundings. This book provides very readable stories of these wandering. It look both on the past and the future of space exploration by robots. It focuses mostly on USA programs, but covers others as well--early USSR exploration, forthcoming European and China planetary missions, just to mention a few.
August 7, 2019
Even as a lifelong follower of planetary exploration, a Caltech alum, and a fan of Rod Pyle’s work, this book really impressed me. The sense of wonder, of awe, of FUN that leaps off of every page really brings the subject to life. And while very much written at the popular level, it never feels dumbed down. I heartily recommend this to everyone from old hands to new blood.
March 25, 2023
A comprehensive history of space exploration. If you are a space nerd this book is for you. Maybe a bit too detailed for me but overall interesting and a good reflection of the curiosity of humans in needing to know what’s out there.
November 11, 2018
A wonderful overview of the interplanetary missions of the last 60 years.
December 11, 2019
For anyone interested in the exploration of the Solar System this is a well written and enjoyable read.
April 6, 2021
Imperial (trump) units. Not really very interesting. I hoped for some real technical content, not dumbed down journalism.
October 7, 2024
Basically the mission (no I'm not typing the stupidly long subtitle) if it were actually good. It's sort of a bridge between popular science books made to be easily accessible to more technical affairs.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews