From the reviews:
Fischer's readable account is one of the few book-length treatments available. . . . Fischer . . .writes for a popular audience, handily guiding the reader through the first Pioneer and Voyager probes of the 1970s, the five-year exploration of the Jovian system and the Jupiter flyby of the Cassini space probe, headed to Saturn for exploration beginning in 2004. Throughout he provides handy summary boxes of findings and scores of illustrations — including more than 40 breathtaking full-color images of Jupiter, the volcanic landscape of the moon Io and, of course, the spectacular ice crusts of Europa. . . . This book will serve as a much-needed addition to the popular literature." Publishers Weekly — 5/28/01
"Originally published in German in 1998, Fischer’s book tells the story of the Galileo space probe, which reached Jupiter in late 1995. … Astronomer Fischer, who edits a German astronomy journal and has written about the Hubble telescope, recounts the mission’s history well … . The text contains new material that updates the original publication. … This book would be appropriate for large libraries … ." (Jeffrey Beall, Library Journal, May, 2001)
"Galileo faced near-fatal funding challenges during its infancy, suffered endless launch delays and accompanying cost overruns, and … was threatened by a potentially crippling failure of its umbrella-like high-gain antenna … . To Fischer’s credit … his book uses sidebars intelligently to explain ancillary topics, has a proportionally large amount of the total text dedicated to the preorbital history of Galileo and its robotic predecessors, and offers a decent selection of reasonably well produced black-and-white figures in addition to a section of color plates." (Jeff Moore, Sky & Telescope, October, 2002)
"Galileo revealed the possible existence of an ocean under the surface ice of Europa and that it could well be salty, and this is covered in some depth. … There are many excellent illustrations in colour and in black and white, especially the patterns on the ice of Europa. Overall a very well written book that holds the interest of the novice and expert alike and gives a well-rounded picture of what is involved in highly successful interplanetary probes. Highly recommended." (Emlyn Jones, Astronomy & Space, October, 2002)
"Galileo has been one of NASA’s most important planetary missions to date. … Its fascinating story is told in Mission Jupiter by Daniel Fischer … . A useful summary mission timeline is included, as well as a list of applicable books and web addresses relating both to Galileo and Jupiter. Another useful feature is the summary tables of key mission objectives and results. … the book presents a good popular account of what has been one of NASA’s most fascinating missions." (Mike Foulkes, The Observatory, Vol. 122 (1167), 2002)
"GALILEO – the spacecraft, not the man – has shown us space exploration in all its phases, from the frustrating to the rewarding. … In Mission Jupiter Daniel Fischer tells a good tale, skilfully explaining the discoveries about Jupiter and its moons and their relations to the other bodies out there. Even the intricacies of the spectacular colour images are described in careful detail. An excellent and accessible overview of the workings of one of the best scientific endeavours of the space age." (David Hughes, New Scientist, June, 2001)
Daniel Fischer tells a good tale, skillfully explaining the discoveries about Jupiter and its moons and their relations to the other bodies out there. Even the intricacies of the spectacular colour images are described in careful detail. An excellent and accessible overview of the workings of one of the best scientific endeavors of the space age.
It took 6 years for the space probe Galileo to reach Jupiter, but the fruits of this mission have been spectacular. Data generated by Galileo are reinventing our understanding of the giant planet and its many moons. . . . [Fischer] reviews the wealth of data the probe generated during its prolific first 2 years orbiting Jupiter.
". . . a generously illustrated, reader-friendly account of a look, close up, over six years, at what Galileo Galilei squinted at in his toy telescope in 1610."
Originally published in German in 1998, Fischer's book tells the story of the Galileo space probe, which reached Jupiter in late 1995. The mission was hampered by political and technical problems, such as budget cuts that delayed its start and a high-gain antenna that never opened. Nonetheless, its successes were significant: amazing pictures, reams of data from onboard scientific instruments, and numerous discoveries about Jupiter and its unique moons. Astronomer Fischer, who edits a German astronomy journal and has written about the Hubble telescope, recounts the mission's history well, albeit from a decidedly German perspective (referring frequently to German companies that made parts on the space probe). The text contains new material that updates the original publication, but the translation is occasionally weak in its explanations of difficult technical matters. This book would be appropriate for large libraries, although David M. Harland's Jupiter Odyssey: The Story of NASA's Galileo Mission provides a clearer and more complete account of the mission. Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado at Denver Lib. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
