Brown leaves no door closed as he covers the science, logistics, personalities, and politics of this extraordinary NASA mission. His extensively researched, humorous, raucous, dramatic, and pop-culture- and science-fiction-laced immersion in planetary science will have readers hanging on every word.
At nearly 400 pages dense with historical, biographical, and scientific detail, The Mission is not a quick read. That said, Brown is a nimble, gifted writer, downright Dickensian in his pointed descriptions and irreverent humor. His affection for the science and personalities that populate his tale is clear from the first page ... Brown’s language drew me in to the world of interplanetary science and made me a part of it.
Journalist Brown provides a narrative of one of the most ambitious science projects ever conceived: NASA’s deep-space mission to Europa. This true story has not been previously written about in such detail ... This inspiring story provides a look into some of the characteristics needed to make change in a large industrial complex. Extensive notes are provided for further research.An engaging read for all, especially for anyone curious about the details of space exploration.
In his latest book, The Mission: A True Story , writer David W. Brown relates the novel story of Europa Clipper, the planned NASA mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa, home to a saltwater ocean flowing beneath its icy exterior ... Brown cleverly sets the scene for this impressive initiative by weaving together the backstories of NASA scientists, past and present. He digs deep into the NASA vault, meticulously detailing the seemingly insurmountable odds these men and women have faced over the years, including a lack of funds and wavering levels of interest and support from both the public and various presidential administrations. As a result, The Mission is as much about the people behind space exploration as it is about the science of distant moons.
The inner workings of NASA through an enthusiastic account of an interplanetary probe to a distant moon ... Readers will roll their eyes but keep reading as Brown engagingly describes the cutthroat NASA political landscape, in which Mars gets the most attention, leaving advocates of other planets fuming ... A delightful slice of NASA life.
Journalist Brown brings to vivid life the 17-year effort to put together a mission to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons ... Brown skillfully braids biography, science, obsession, and accounts of bureaucracy-wrangling into this mesmerizing tale of 'good, bare-fisted science.' Salted with pop culture references and humor, Brown’s fascinating outing will entertain anyone curious about space exploration.
