The objective of the book is to find an answer to the rationale behind the human quest for the Mars exploration. As a comprehensive assessment for this query is undertaken, it is realized that the basic question ‘Why Mars?’ seeks various responses from technological, economic and geopolitical to strategic perspectives. The book is essentially targeted to understand India’s desire to reach Mars. In the process, it also undertakes some implicit questioning of Mars programmes of various other states essentially to facilitate the setting up of the context for an assessment. The book is divided into two parts: Part I: This covers both science and politics associated with Mars missions in global scenario and discusses the salient features of various Mars Missions undertaken by various countries. Part II: This provides details in regards to India’s Mars Mission.

Although the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has become synonymous with the United States’ planetary exploration during the past half century, its most recent focus has been on Mars. Beginning in the 1990s and continuing through the Mars Phoenix mission of 2007, JPL led the way in engineering an impressive, rapidly evolving succession of Mars orbiters and landers, including roving robotic vehicles whose successful deployment onto the Martian surface posed some of the most complicated technical problems in space flight history. In Exploration and Engineering, Erik M. Conway reveals how JPL engineers’ creative technological feats led to major breakthroughs in Mars exploration. He takes readers into the heart of the lab’s problem-solving approach and management structure, where talented scientists grappled with technical challenges while also coping, not always successfully, with funding shortfalls, unrealistic schedules, and managerial turmoil. Conway, JPL’s historian, offers an insider’s perspective into the changing goals of Mars exploration, the ways in which sophisticated computer simulations drove the design process, and the remarkable evolution of landing technologies over a thirty-year period. "A masterpiece of research and writing."—Quest: History of Spaceflight Quarterly "A 'must' for any reader of modern astronomy who wants insights into how the lab conducts its research, solves problems, and handle[s] technological challenges."—Midwest Book Review "A great tale of ambition, mishap and recovery, building on extensive archival research and interviews with JPL managers, scientists and engineers, to deliver a detailed overview of each mission's feats and failures . . . Exploration and Engineering is a great book for everyone seriously interested in the struggles and achievements of JPL as NASA's centre for Mars exploration."—Sky at Night Erik M. Conway is a historian of science and technology at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. He is the author of Atmospheric Science at NASA: A History.

As I write this short preface, the red orb of Mars is high in the eastern sky, and is brighter than it has been for many years. Last night my telescope again revealed the strange polar hood which is a feature of the planet at this time in its cycle. Because of its current prominence in the night sky, it is a very appropriate time to bring together and reappraise what we know of Mars and look forward to the next wave of planetary exploration. The initial notion of writing a book about Mars is an exciting one; the practicalities involved in working through and completing the project are, however, more than a trifle exacting. The first problem I encountered was the sheer vastness of the library of information about Mars which now exists. The second was the natural extension of the first, that is, how best to analyse it and reach widely acceptable interpretations. I have tried to write the story of Mars in a logical and unbiased way, however, we all have our individual prejudices, and I would be less than truthful if I did not admit to personal bias here and there. With this in mind, I apologise to any authors who may feel either misinterpreted or less than adequately acknowledged. The project is now completed and has been superbly prepared by Chapman & Hall.

The longing for redemption is a many-headed daimon that dwells within the most earthbound and prosaic of souls. Neptune is the astrological symbol that describes this energy. Liz Greene, an internationally known astrologer, has given us the most complete and accessible book about Neptune ever written! She explores Neptune themes in literature, myth, politics, religion, fashion, and art to show how this energy manifests.

This book covers in detail the mechanisms for how energy is managed in the human body. The basic principles that elucidate the reactivity and physical interactions of matter are addressed and quantified with simple approaches. Three-dimensional representations of molecules are presented throughout the book so molecules can be viewed as unique entities in their shape and function. The book is focused on the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes in the context of human physiological situations such as fasting, feeding and physical exercise, in which metabolic regulation is highlighted. Furthermore the book uses key historical experiments that opened up new concepts in biochemistry to further illustrate how the human body functions at molecular level, helping students to appreciate how scientific knowledge emerges. New to this edition: - 30 challenging practical case studies (2-3 at the end of each chapter) based on movies, novels, biographies, documentaries, paintings, and other cultural and artistic creations far beyond canonic academic exercises. - A set of challenging questions and problems in the end of each case study to further engage students with the applications of medical biochemistry - Insights into the answers to the challenging questions to help steer teaching/learning interactions key to productive lectures, PBL (problem-based learning) or traditional tutorials, or e-learning approaches. Advance praise for the second edition: “The Challenging Cases are compelling both from a scientific viewpoint and for the perspective they provide on the history of medicine.” David M. Jameson, University of Hawaii “Using case studies to reinforce the biochemistry lessons is extremely effective – as well as entertaining!” Joseph P. Albanesi, UT Southwestern Medical Center Advance Praise for the first edition: “This textbook provides a modern and integrative perspective of human biochemistry and will be a faithful companion to health science students following curricula in which this discipline is addressed. This textbook will be a most useful tool for the teaching community.” Joan Guinovart Former director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain, and former president of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IUBMB

New and challenging readings of biblical characters This volume of collected essays introduces the concept of interfigurality, the interrelations and interdependence between characters in the Gospel of John and in the Synoptic Gospels and the Hebrew Bible.The essays are informed by a narrative-critical reader-response, (post)feminist hermeneutics and an autobiographical approach to biblical texts. This volume encourages transformative encounters between present-day readers and the ancient biblical texts. Features: Previously unpublished conference papers and published essays A new perspective on the relation between New Testament and Hebrew Bible Foreword by Fernando F. Segovia Ingrid Rosa Kitzberger is an independent scholar and the author of Transformative Encounters: Jesus and Women Re-viewed (1999) and the editor of The Personal Voice in Biblical Interpretation (1998) and Autobiographical Biblical Criticism: Between Text and Self (2002).

Sheehan and O'Meara (they're the contributing editors to Sky and Telescope and Odyssey magazines) trace the history of Mars investigations in this volume for the popular reader. Although they begin in prehistory and classical antiquity, recounting Odysseus's trials in the Odyssey, the majority of the book is devoted to scientific research of the planet, from Ptolemy to the 20th-century US space program, with rather grainy bandw photos of early telescopes, observatories, and famous astronomers. c. Book News Inc.

Get ready for an out-of-this-world journey through the Solar System! Blast Off!: Everything You Need to Know About the Solar System is a fun and exciting guide for curious kids who want to explore space. From the scorching heat of Mercury to the icy rings of Saturn, this book covers every planet, moon, and beyond with colorful illustrations, easy-to-understand facts, and amazing space adventures. Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for lift-off—this space adventure is about to begin!

The solar system has always been a messy place in which gravity wreaks havoc. Moons form, asteroids and comets crash into planets, ice ages commence, and dinosaurs disappear. By describing the dramatic consequences of such disturbances, this authoritative and entertaining book reveals the fundamental interconnectedness of the solar system--and what it means for life on Earth. After relating a brief history of the solar system, Alan Rubin describes how astronomers determined our location in the Milky Way. He provides succinct and up-to-date accounts of the energetic interactions among planetary bodies, the generation of the Earth's magnetic field, the effects of other solar-system objects on our climate, the moon's genesis, the heating of asteroids, and the origin of the mysterious tektites. Along the way, Rubin introduces us to the individual scientists--including the famous, the now obscure, and the newest generation of researchers--who have enhanced our understanding of the galactic neighborhood. He shows how scientific discoveries are made; he discusses the uncertainty that presides over the boundaries of knowledge as well as the occasional reluctance of scientists to change their minds even when confronted by compelling evidence. This fresh historical perspective reveals science as it is: an imperfect but self-correcting enterprise. Journeying to the frontiers of knowledge, Rubin concludes with the exciting realm of astrobiology. He chronicles the history of the search for life on Mars and describes cutting-edge lines of astrobiological inquiry, including panspermia (the possible transfer of life from planet to planet), the likelihood of technologically advanced alien civilizations in our galaxy, and our probable responses to alien contact. Authoritative and up-to-date but also entertaining and fluidly written, Disturbing the Solar System will appeal to any reader who has ever picked up a rock or gazed at the moon with a sense of wonder.