Overview

On July 14, 2015, something amazing happened. More than 3 billion miles from Earth, a small NASA spacecraft called New Horizons screamed past Pluto at more than 32,000 miles per hour, focusing its instruments on the long mysterious icy worlds of the Pluto system, and then continued on its journey out into the beyond. Nothing like this has occurred in a generation-a raw exploration of new worlds unparalleled since NASA's Voyager missions-and nothing like it is planned to happen again. The photos that New Horizons sent back to Earth graced the front pages of newspapers on all 7 continents, and NASA's website for the mission received more than 2 billion hits in the days surrounding the flyby. At a time when so many think our most historic achievements are in the past, the most distant planetary exploration ever attempted not only succeeded but made history and captured the world's imagination. How did this happen? Chasing New Horizons is the story of the men and women behind the mission: of their decades-long commitment; of the political fights within and outside of NASA; of the sheer human ingenuity it took to design, build, and fly the mission. Told from the insider's perspective of Dr. Alan Stern, Chasing New Horizons is a riveting story of scientific discovery, and of how far humanity can go when we work together toward an incredible goal.

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9781250098962

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Thrilling... Stern's hands-on and passionate involvement with the project from its inception enables him to make potentially dull material--seeking committee approvals, battling for funding, and managing relationships with superiors--as interesting as the science, and he provides a valuable perspective on the practical aspects of getting a venture like this off the ground. This is a future classic of popular science, full of twists and turns and unexpected heroes...with a dramatic and profound payoff. --Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW* When the New Horizons spacecraft flew from here to Pluto and beyond, the pictures and data forever changed the way we view our Solar System and our place within it. Stern and Grinspoon show us what NASA can do when the United States brings its best. New Horizons is still flying, and for us Plutophiles it's the adventure of a lifetime. --BILL NYE, science educator, CEO the Planetary Society Here is the exciting, moment-by-moment account of how a dream becomes a successful mission to another planet. Chasing New Horizons is a cliff-hanger, a page-turner, a spine-tingler, and, ultimately, a reason to stand up and cheer. Readers are 'Go!' for Pluto and beyond. --DAVA SOBEL, New York Times bestselling author of Galileo's Daughter and The Glass Universe Alan Stern and David Grinspoon take the reader to Pluto on a historic odyssey from its inception to its conclusion. --CAPT. JAMES LOVELL, commander, Apollo 13 To Pluto and beyond! This is a thrilling and very human account of one of the greatest scientific adventures of our generation. --BRIAN MAY, astrophysicist and lead guitarist of Queen A compelling account of one of the most ambitious space exploration missions ever conducted. A visionary of exploration, Alan Stern takes the reader through his lifetime journey of discovery culminating in the 3 billion mile trip to Pluto. --CAPT. MARK KELLY, retired NASA space shuttle commander The fascinating story of how human curiosity, ingenuity, and tenacity have revealed to us what a world that is billions of miles away is really like. Space exploration at its best. --MARIO LIVIO, astrophysicist, and author of WHY?: What Makes Us Curious and Brilliant Blunders Imagine launching a spacecraft that will travel faster than 30,000 miles per hour, for nearly a decade, until it passes the previously unreachable surface of Pluto, capturing some of the most beautiful images ever recorded. This mission is a demonstration of the best side of humanity and Alan Stern is a true superhero! --DAVID BLAINE, magician and space enthusiast When the New Horizons spacecraft flew from here to Pluto and beyond, the pictures and data forever changed the way we view our Solar System and our place within it. Stern and Grinspoon show us what NASA can do when the United States brings its best. New Horizons is still flying, and for us Plutophiles it's the adventure of a lifetime. --BILL NYE, science educator, CEO the Planetary Society Here is the exciting, moment-by-moment account of how a dream becomes a successful mission to another planet. Chasing New Horizons is a cliff-hanger, a page-turner, a spine-tingler, and, ultimately, a reason to stand up and cheer. Readers are 'Go!' for Pluto and beyond. --DAVA SOBEL, New York Times bestselling author of Galileo's Daughter and The Glass Universe Alan Stern and David Grinspoon take the reader to Pluto on a historic odyssey from its inception to its conclusion. --CAPT. JAMES LOVELL, commander, Apollo 13 To Pluto and beyond! This is a thrilling and very human account of one of the greatest scientific adventures of our generation. --BRIAN MAY, astrophysicist and lead guitarist of Queen A compelling account of one of the most ambitious space exploration missions ever conducted. A visionary of exploration, Alan Stern takes the reader through his lifetime journey of discovery culminating in the 3 billion mile trip to Pluto. --CAPT. MARK KELLY, retired NASA space shuttle commander The fascinating story of how human curiosity, ingenuity, and tenacity have revealed to us what a world that is billions of miles away is really like. Space exploration at its best. --MARIO LIVIO, astrophysicist, and author of WHY?: What Makes Us Curious and Brilliant Blunders Imagine launching a spacecraft that will travel faster than 30,000 miles per hour, for nearly a decade, until it passes the previously unreachable surface of Pluto, capturing some of the most beautiful images ever recorded. This mission is a demonstration of the best side of humanity and Alan Stern is a true superhero! --DAVID BLAINE, magician and space enthusiast Alan Stern and David Grinspoon take the reader to Pluto on a historic odyssey from its inception to its conclusion. --CAPT. JAMES LOVELL, commander, Apollo 13 When the New Horizons spacecraft flew from here to Pluto and beyond, the pictures and data forever changed the way we view our Solar System and our place within it. Stern and Grinspoon show us what NASA can do when the United States brings its best. New Horizons is still flying, and for us Plutophiles it's the adventure of a lifetime. --BILL NYE, science educator, CEO the Planetary Society To Pluto and beyond! This is a thrilling and very human account of one of the greatest scientific adventures of our generation. --BRIAN MAY, astrophysicist and lead guitarist of Queen Here is the exciting moment-by-moment account of how a dream becomes a successful mission to another planet. Chasing New Horizons is a cliff-hanger, a page-turner, a spine-tingler, and, ultimately, a reason to stand up and cheer. Readers are 'Go!' for Pluto and beyond. --DAVA SOBEL, New York Times bestselling author of Galileo's Daughter and The Glass Universe The fascinating story of how human curiosity, ingenuity, and tenacity have revealed to us what a world that is billions of miles away is really like. Space exploration at its best. --MARIO LIVIO, astrophysicist, and author of Why?: What Makes Us Curious and Brilliant Blunders A compelling account of one of the most ambitious space exploration missions ever conducted. A visionary of exploration, Alan Stern takes the reader through his lifetime journey of discovery culminating in the three-billion-mile trip to Pluto. --CAPT. MARK KELLY, retired NASA space shuttle commander Stern and Grinspoon tell an insiders story of what it was like to design, launch, and run one of the boldest missions ever undertaken by NASA. From politics to science, this gripping story is, in microcosm, the story of humanity's drive to explore that final frontier, and in so doing understand ourselves by understanding the cosmos in which we live. --LAWRENCE M. KRAUSS, director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University, and New York Times bestselling author of A Universe from Nothing and The Greatest Story Ever Told...So Far

Alan Stern and David Grinspoon take the reader to Pluto on a historic odyssey, from its inception to its conclusion. --Capt. James Lovell The fascinating story of how human curiosity, ingenuity, and tenacity have revealed to us what a world that is billions of miles away is really like. Space exploration at its best. --Mario Livio, astrophysicist and author of Why? and Brilliant Blunders

Author Information

Dr Alan Stern is Principal Investigator of the New Horizons mission. A planetary scientist, space program executive, aerospace consultant, and author, he has participated in numerous planetary missions. He lives in Colorado. Dr David Grinspoon is an astrobiologist, award-winning science communicator, author, and the inaugural Chair of Astrobiology at the Library of Congress. He is a frequent adviser to NASA on space exploration strategy and lives in lives in Washington, DC.

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