Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Aboard the Glacier

2. Problem Child

3. The Convict

4. Light Fuse, GET AWAY

5. New Moon

6. Let's Make a Deal

7. The Creators and the Makers

8. Storming the Sea of Dreams

9. Moving at the Speed of Design

10. Job Number MA-11

11. The Science and the Cyclist

12. Get Off the Bus

13. Swing in Time

14. The Meeting and the Mechta

15. Think Like Gravity

16. Didn't They Get It?

17. The Death and the Funeral

18. One Hundred Percent Failure

19. Three-Problem Shipley

20. Pete and Al's Little Field Trip

21. Irradiated Plans

22. Embarking

23. Get It

24. Instant Science

25. Circles of Gold

26. Last Light

27. Continuum

Sources

Index

Promotional Information

The first people-oriented history of the first two decades of the unmanned space probes and planetary explorers programme

About the Author

Jay Gallentine is a space historian who strives to tell never-before-heard stories of the space age in a lightheartedly appealing, readable, and nontechnical style.

Reviews

"Gallentine's book weaves highly accessible and rich tales of the lives of some of the passionate pioneers behind these space machines. Flooded with details that reveal the contingent and fragile nature of these adventures, Ambassadors from Earth reminds us that behind the scenes in these exciting enterprises are genuine human beings who struggle to make something work. Read this and be inspired." Rob Manning, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Program chief engineer "An exciting, engrossing tale of the early days of space flight---capturing the human drama with its inside look at the competitors in the space race reaching for the Moon, Venus, Mars and beyond. It's like listening to the stories of the sailors on Captain Cook's voyages as they discovered new worlds." Louis Friedman, executive director, the Planetary Society "The story of unmanned planetary exploration deserves retelling to each new generation---and it has found an expert chronicler in Jay Gallentine. His lively, readable, and expertly researched book documents this saga from its roots in WWII to the latest findings---presenting both the human and the technological dimensions of our ventures into space." Jon Lomberg, Design Director, Voyager Interstellar Record