YA-- Jamie Waterman, a Native American geologist, is chosen at the last minute for the first manned exploration of the planet Mars. On touchdown, he is so overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment that he utters a Navajo phrase instead of the political statement he is supposed to read. This sets off a chain reaction among the leaders and politicians on Earth. Thus starts Bova's sprawling space opera. The expedition, seen from Jamie's point of view, is really the protagonist here. The story is filled with lots of characters of different nationalities and there's plenty of political intrigue. Of course, there are obstacles to overcome: a meteor almost destroys the lab, the doctor neglects his duty and nearly kills them all, crew members come down with mysterious ``Martian flu,'' and through it all is the never-ending search for evidence of life on this planet. Bova has done extensive research and his descriptions of Mars and the conditions under which the study is conducted are very plausible. All in all, a satisfying story.-- Susan McFaden, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
On this day in 1986, the loss of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger woke us up to the very real human costs of space exploration. The lives of Dick Scobee, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe ended tragically on flight STS-51-L, but it is their pioneering […]
So, you wanna live on Mars? Earth’s blue skies and swaying seas are nice and all, but humans have the insatiable desire to spread out and explore. Since we’ve pretty much called dibs on every habitable corner of this globe, the next logical step is the Red Planet. Space agencies both public and private have […]