The Mission

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA{u2019}s deep space missi... (more)

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA{u2019}s deep space mission to Europa, the Jovian moon where might swim the first known alien life in our solar system In the spirit of Tom Wolfe and John McPhee, The Mission is an exuberant master class of creative nonfiction that reveals how a motley, determined few expanded the horizon of human achievement. When scientists discovered the first ocean beyond Earth, they had two big questions: g2sIs it habitable?g3s and g2sHow do we get there?g3s To answer the first, they had to solve the second, and so began a vivacious team{u2019}s twenty-year odyssey to mount a mission to Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter. Standing in their way: NASA, fanatically consumed with landing robots on Mars; the White House, which never saw a science budget it couldn{u2019}t cut; Congress, fixated on going to the moon or Mars{u2014}anywhere, really, to give astronauts something to do; rivals in academia, who wanted instead to go to Saturn; and even Jupiter itself, which guards Europa in a pulsing, rippling radi{u00AD}ation belt{u2014}a halo of death whose conditions are like those that follow a detonated thermonuclear bomb. The Mission is the Homeric, never-before-told story of modern space exploration, and a magnificent portrait of the inner lives of scientists who study the solar system{u2019}s mysterious outer planets. David W. Brown chronicles the remarkable saga of how Europa was won, and what it takes to get things done{u2014}both down here, and up there. (less)

The Mission is an exuberant master class of creative nonfiction that reveals how a motley, determined few expanded the h... (more)

The Mission is an exuberant master class of creative nonfiction that reveals how a motley, determined few expanded the horizon of human achievement. When scientists discovered the first ocean beyond Earth, they had two big questions: "Is it habitable?" and "How do we get there?" To answer the first, they had to solve the second, and so began a vivacious team's twenty-year odyssey to mount a mission to Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter. Standing in their way: NASA, fanatically consumed with landing robots on Mars; the White House, which never saw a science budget it couldn't cut; Congress, fixated on going to the moon or Mars{u2014}anywhere, really, to give astronauts something to do; rivals in academia, who wanted instead to go to Saturn; and even Jupiter itself, which guards Europa in a pulsing, rippling radi{u00AD}ation belt{u2014}a halo of death whose conditions are like those that follow a detonated thermonuclear bomb. The Mission is the Homeric, never-before-told story of modern space exploration, and a magnificent portrait of the inner lives of scientists who study the solar system's mysterious outer planets. (less)

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA's deep-space mission to ... (more)

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA's deep-space mission to Europa--the Jovian moon where might swim the first known alien life in our solar system--powered by a motley team of obsessives and eccentrics.When scientists discovered the first ocean beyond Earth, they had two big questions: "Is it habitable'" and "How do we get there'" To answer the first, they had to answer the second, and so began a vivacious team's twenty-year odyssey to mount a mission to Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter.Standing in their way: NASA, fanatically consumed with landing robots on Mars; the White House, which never saw a science budget it couldn't cut; Congress, fixated on going to the moon or Mars--anywhere, really, to give astronauts something to do; rivals in academia, who wanted instead to go to Saturn; and even Jupiter itself, which guards Europa in a pulsing, rippling, radiation belt--a halo of death whose conditions are like those that follow a detonated thermonuclear bomb.The Mission is the Homeric, never-before-told story of modern space exploration, and a magnificent portrait of the inner lives of scientists who study the solar system's mysterious outer planets. David W. Brown chronicles the remarkable saga of how Europa was won, and what it takes to get things done--down here, and up there.Written with verve, humor, and uncanny empathy, The Mission is an exuberant masterclass in how a few determined cogs can change an entire machine. (less)

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA's deep-space mission to ... (more)

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA's deep-space mission to Europa--the Jovian moon where might swim the first known alien life in our solar system--powered by a motley team of obsessives and eccentrics.When scientists discovered the first ocean beyond Earth, they had two big questions: "Is it habitable'" and "How do we get there'" To answer the first, they had to answer the second, and so began a vivacious team's twenty-year odyssey to mount a mission to Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter.Standing in their way: NASA, fanatically consumed with landing robots on Mars; the White House, which never saw a science budget it couldn't cut; Congress, fixated on going to the moon or Mars--anywhere, really, to give astronauts something to do; rivals in academia, who wanted instead to go to Saturn; and even Jupiter itself, which guards Europa in a pulsing, rippling, radiation belt--a halo of death whose conditions are like those that follow a detonated thermonuclear bomb.The Mission is the Homeric, never-before-told story of modern space exploration, and a magnificent portrait of the inner lives of scientists who study the solar system's mysterious outer planets. David W. Brown chronicles the remarkable saga of how Europa was won, and what it takes to get things done--down here, and up there.Written with verve, humor, and uncanny empathy, The Mission is an exuberant masterclass in how a few determined cogs can change an entire machine. (less)

When someone attempts to take out a mob boss named Mr. Lung, his brother Frank (Simon Yam) puts together a team of five ... (more)

When someone attempts to take out a mob boss named Mr. Lung, his brother Frank (Simon Yam) puts together a team of five bodyguards to protect him. At first the team is bored as nothing happens. After a close call, they pull themselves into a ruthlessly efficient unit.. Slowly, the personalities of the individual bodyguards come to light in snapshot scenes. But when the threat to Mr. Lung is resolved, their troubles really begin. One of them is accused of having an affair with Lung's wife, and the others must kill him or be killed themselves. Director Johnnie To is considered the natural successor to action maestro John Woo.. (less)