Exploring Mars: Chronicles from a Decade of Discovery

After two dramatic failed attempts to land a module on Mars, NASA hired Stanford professor Hubbard%E2%80%94the "Mars Czar"%E2%80%94to get the program back on course. This is Hubbard's insider account of his time in Washington, D.C. as the Mars Program Director, over the first decade of the third millennium. Though a dedicated and accomplished scientist, Hubbard soon learns that NASA operations require an enormous amount of politicking, from briefing Al Gore's advisors to winning over budget committees. This inside look at Hubbard's struggles, compromises, and endless meetings gives readers a true understanding of how much diplomacy is involved in getting a rocket into space. Hubbard also includes a chapter on a topic rarely mentioned in histories of space exploration%E2%80%94namely, the involvement of other countries' space agencies. This not only complicates the political dimension, but adds a cultural one. The author's tale of a day in Russia drenched in vodka and coffee shows that, in addition to smarts, one must have stamina to compete in the space race. At once a fascinating scientific artifact and political thriller, Hubbard writes with wit and a passion for his work to uncover the secrets of our sister planet. Illus. (Feb.)