The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity (Scientists in the Field)

Description

The Mighty Mars Rovers tells the greatest space robot adventure of all time—one of the most successful space explorations ever undertaken. On June 10, 2003, a little rover named Spirit blasted off on a rocket headed for Mars. A month later, a twin rover named Opportunity soared through the solar system with the same mission: to find out if Mars ever had water that could have supported life. They were expected to last no more than three months on the frigid, harsh planet. Instead, they explored the red planet for years. Packed with full-color photos, this 80-page book is a thrilling addition to the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, told through the eyes—and heart—of Steven Squyres, the lead scientist on the mission. This suspenseful page-turner captures the hair-raising human emotions felt during the adventures with two tough rovers. Review: Great read aloud & independent read grades 4-8; aligns with Next Gen Science Standards - This could be a good read aloud to 4-6th grade students - even 7th/8th. Fascinating, fascinating how a team of engineers and scientists can design, create and send a small rover to Mars to explore and learn more than we've ever known about the planet. If you're exploring the Next Generation science standards with students - this book is the perfect illustration of what the standards mean by science and engineering, by scientific and engineering practices, by true collaboration - over time that includes patience and perseverance. My only criticism is the focus on one person as a thread - Steven Squyres, the geologist who had the dream of the rovers and applied to NASA year after year for funding. I think readers/listeners who can comprehend this text developmentally could handle the focus on a team - maybe 3-5 people who were involved through the whole project along with many, many others. What's implied in the book is that this was a team effort - I think the structure of the book needed to be a scaffold for this central idea and that the audience could handle this. Review: Good discussion of the Rovers. - JPL nailed ther missions, and this book is a good source of info. Me? 42 years at NASA. Have not been to Mars. Did put a rover on Greenland ice sheet.