This book features eight remarkable spacecraft that ventured to the outer planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune-and the dwarf planet Pluto. It delves into the complex engineering behind each mission, detailing the spacecraft systems and the sophisticated scientific instruments they carried.

Tracing the journey of outer planet exploration, the book narrates the evolution of spacecraft technology that helped unveil the long-sought secrets of these distant worlds. The innovative designs reflect the dedication and brilliance of the engineers and scientists who worked with the best technology available at the time. Clever workarounds devised in response to mission-critical failures serve as powerful examples of human ingenuity and perseverance.

The book also presents key scientific discoveries from each mission, along with stunning visuals, offering an engaging overview of their achievements. It serves as a companion to Spacecraft that Explored the Inner Planets: Venus and Mercury, published by Springer in 2023.

Autorentext

The author draws on over 50 years' experience on aircraft and spacecraft systems to tell the story of these planetary spacecraft. He was technical lead for the landing radars for the Surveyor and Apollo lunar landers and he performed analysis and system design for the radars for the Viking spacecraft and the Space Shuttle. He was Technical Director at the Teledyne Ryan Company and personally led efforts to establish new product lines in fiber optics, radar altimeters, and missile detection radars. At Litton Technologies, he was systems engineer for a new helmet mounted display for helicopter gunships. He served 3 years as Electronics Officer in the U.S. Navy.

His working experience is augmented by master's degrees in electrical engineering, physics, and business administration.