THE GREAT VOYAGER ADVENTURE: A Guided Tour Through the Solar System

by Alan & Paul Weissman Harris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1990

Voyager I and Voyager 2 are identical and still-flying spacecraft, launched within two weeks of each other, in late 1977, to boldly go where no machines had ever gone before, and timed to take advantage of relative positions of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, allowing all four to be visited before both space probes finally leave our solar system for outer space. The result, in photographs and measurements, has been an astonishing picture of those planets, destroying old theories and providing a wealth of new scientific puzzles. The authors here--both members of the technical staff at Jet Propulsion Laboratories--call it ""the most successful space mission ever""; hyperbole aside, there's no denying that impressive teamwork led to equally impressive results. At the heart of this book are the incredible photographs showing the planets' surfaces, rings, and satellites. But the sense of excitement provided by these two scientists who were involved with the mission is also outstanding: they give a sense of the challenges and of the teamwork and innovation required to keep the mission alive for 13 years (both probes are still observing, but are running out of power). The book is full of information on distances, speeds, and scientific findings--so much so that it seems crowded and (despite some innovative typography) cluttered. Still, all in all, a treasure trove for inquiring minds. Glossary, index.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 79

Publisher: Messner

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S