Prior to the space age, little was known about Jupiter. Focusing on the Galileo mission, this book tracks the remarkable spacecraft gestation, the ordeal of its long haul out to Jupiter, and its 5 year long exploration of the Jovian system. The book features material taken from press conferences, technical papers, and essays written by engineers and scientists involved in the NASA Galileo mission. From the reviews: "...Unlike his colleagues in this genre Harland provides more than just a serial history...The book is abundantly footnoted and richly illustrated with hundreds of images...I highly recommend Jupiter Odyssey to all readers, beginner to advanced, all of who will surely gain new insight into one of the most successful interplanetary missions ever flown." Amazon.com