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callienicole's review against another edition
4.0
We were studying astronomy in our co-op, and I picked up this book to answer a few questions I had about Pluto. I LOVED it! Not only learned alot about Pluto, but it provided a really fascinating look at how space missions are financed, approved, and planned. It's a much more complicated process than I thought. Highly recommend if you have any interest in space! Some "millions of years" references (young earth creationist here), but that was my only beef with it.
a_strix_named_strix's review against another edition
5.0
This book is my gold standard for mission books.
erikbergstrom's review against another edition
3.0
Has it really almost been 10 years since New Horizons made it to Pluto? Wow! I remember putting the just-released photo on my computer desktop at work, that was fun. I also listened to David Grinspoon on a podcast soon afterwards. The way he explained planetery science (and Pluto specifically) was fascinating and he sounded like a good pop science sort of guy. This book, however? Well, if you find space bureaucracy and mechanical engineering interesting, you might enjoy it. They don't get to Pluto until there are about 20 pages left and by then I was ready to come back to Earth!
beccadilly's review against another edition
4.0
Such an interesting read! I'm a converted Plutophile!
fshguy's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic overview of the challenges of getting a deep space mission going and all of the hurdles to get there. I admire the perseverance of Alan Stern and the rest of the team to get this far! So excited that this journey will continue January 1st 2019.
danielbeer's review against another edition
4.0
People may not feel the same, but for me, personally, as avid lover of space exploration, New Horizons' flyby of Pluto felt like my generation's moon landing. I still remember being awake at 5 a.m. with my then 4-year-old daughter, watching the broadcast that announced the moment of flyby. It was a moment of sheer joy, and one I got to share with my daughter. By the time I was old enough to know anything about space, Mercury through Neptune had all been imaged before. Pluto had only ever been blobs in the best images we could get from Hubble. Seeing the incredibly clear images of Pluto's diverse surface features still gives me chills.
Reading about all the trials and tribulations, all the incessant starts and stops to make this happen, is truly astounding. It's a cold reminder that so much incredible science hasn't happened yet, not for a lack of technology or knowledge, but for a lack of government interest and financing.
Chasing New Horizons is a fascinating read, giving insight into the life cycle of a NASA mission and a look into the passions of those that make it happen. I hope the story of New Horizons will inspire future generations to set out to do spectacular things like the Plutophiles did with exploring Pluto, Charon, and the rest of the gang.
Reading about all the trials and tribulations, all the incessant starts and stops to make this happen, is truly astounding. It's a cold reminder that so much incredible science hasn't happened yet, not for a lack of technology or knowledge, but for a lack of government interest and financing.
Chasing New Horizons is a fascinating read, giving insight into the life cycle of a NASA mission and a look into the passions of those that make it happen. I hope the story of New Horizons will inspire future generations to set out to do spectacular things like the Plutophiles did with exploring Pluto, Charon, and the rest of the gang.
choochewtoy's review against another edition
3.0
Good story, but didn't care for the matter of fact recitation of events and names that the story devolved into. The authors kept trying to heap praise upon the engineers and people in the control room, but didn't do any character development on who they really were or what they did outside of their functional role. For instance, I learned more about staff at the bar near the hotel the team stayed in than the person who created the impressive compression algorithms.
professor_jango's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
5.0