In Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account from Curiosity's Chief Engineer, Rob Manning, the project's chief engineer, tells of bringing the groundbreaking spacecraft to life. Manning and his team at NASA's 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...

"Carefully leveled text and vibrant photographs introduce early fluent readers to the science and engineering behind planetary rovers. Includes infographics, activity, glossary, and index."--

"Explores various perspectives on exploration of Mars by rovers. The reader's choices reveal the historical details"--

"Humans wanted to soar through the sky, and we did. We wanted to go to the moon, and we did. Then we set our sights on a little red planet, so far out we couldn't go ourselves. Instead, we sent a friend. We named her Opportunity because it means 'a good chance' and feels like hope. With nine eyes, three ears, one arm, and six wheels, Oppy explored the mysterious terrain of Mars, gathering samples, snapping photos, and discovering vast craters. Everywhere...

The story of the two robot vehicles, Spirit and Opportunity, that were sent to explore Mars, lasting far past their projected lives of 3 months and sending back invaluable images of the environmentally hostile planet.