In Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide a comprehensive account of the design and management of deep-space missions, the spacecraft involved ¿ some flown, others not ¿ their instruments, and their scientific results.This fourth volume in the series covers the period 2004 to the present day and features:coverage of the Rosetta and Curiosity missions up to the end of 2013coverage of Mars missions since 2005, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix and Fobos-Grunt, plus a description of plans for future robotic exploration of the Red Planetcoverage of all planetary missions launched between 2004 and 2013, including the Deep Impact cometary mission, the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter, the New Horizons Pluto flyby and the Juno Jupiter orbiterthe first complete description of the Chinese Chang¿e 2 asteroid flyby mission ever publishedextensive coverage of future missions, including the European BepiColombo Mercury orbiter and international plans to revisit the most interesting moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Emphasizes the technology of space probes in terms of structures, propulsion, power, communications and data processing systems, and scientific instrumentation

Part 1.- The Beginning.- Of Landers and Orbiters.- The Grandest Tour.- Part 2.- The Decade of Halley.- The Era of Flagships.- Faster, Cheaper, Better.- Part 3.- The Last Flagship.- Faster, Cheaper, Better Continues.- Mars Invaded.- Part 4.- New frontiers of the solar system.- Red Planet blues.- The future.