Seeing Like a Rover: How Robots, Teams, and Images Craft Knowledge of Mars

by Janet Vertesi

In the years since the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and Opportunity first began transmitting images from the surface of Mars, we have become familiar with the harsh, rocky, rusty-red Martian landscape. But those images are much less straightforward than they may seem to a each one is the result of a complicated set of decisions and processes involving the large team behind the Rovers.

With Seeing Like a Rover , Janet Vertesi takes us behind the scenes to reveal the work that goes into creating our knowledge of Mars. Every photograph that the Rovers take, she shows, must be processed, manipulated, and interpreted—and all that comes after team members negotiate with each other about what they should even be taking photographs of in the first place. Vertesi’s account of the inspiringly successful Rover project reveals science in action, a world where digital processing uncovers scientific truths, where images are used to craft consensus, and where team members develop an uncanny intimacy with the sensory apparatus of a robot that is millions of miles away. Ultimately, Vertesi shows, every image taken by the Mars Rovers is not merely a picture of Mars—it’s a portrait of the whole Rover team, as well.

Genres: Nonfiction, Space, Science, Academic

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2015

Reviews

[Floris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intimate and thorough ethnographic study of the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) 2006-8, which focuses on images of Mars are made and used. The book follows the process of making these images, from acquiring them, to cleaning them, to annotating and manipulating them, to the way they are fed back into the process as starting points for new images. Vertesi’s account is impressively interdisciplinary, making links to and providing insights from the history and philosophy of science, as well as sociology and behavioural psychology. In being so thorough the chapters sometimes feel like they’re dragging on a bit, much like the wheel of one of the rovers that got stuck. But like that wheel, which by crushing some rock gave the scientists an unexpected piece of data to work with, these long passages of observational accounts often provide unique insights into the life and reality of running a multi-year, multi-institutional “big science” mission like a Mars Rover expedition. Strongly recommend to anyone interested in one or more of: scientific visualisation practices; space exploration; ethnographies of science.

[Daniel Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting look at the sicence work that the people behind the Mars rovers do. It talks about technical practices, cultural practices, and how the teams interact with outside audiences, like the public and other scientists. And it's full of pretty pictures. You will need to overlook some of the limitations of academic ethnographic writing: anonymity and abundant passive voice (also, and this is not the author's fault, you'll get no insight into the engineering work of operating a Rover, due federal regulations on what space technology non-US nationals may see).

[Billy Marino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 4.25, maybe even 4.5. I'm reading this as an important foundation for my dissertation work, and also just trying to enjoy it because what a fascinating look into the way science is practiced on other planets! It was also so beautifully printed with the color images that it makes me sad that other books don't look and feel as nice, but I'm glad this topic got the proper treatment because being able to read about how a Rover team member creates different variations of images and pairs them with other elements such as graphs of data in those images very much needed color photos throughout it. Anyway, I don't have time for an extensive review, but I'll say that despite my studies being focused historically, this book was such a cool look into more recent missions, and if you've ever wondered how space imagery and space science in general gets practiced, you should do yourself a favor and give this a read!

[Milton Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too technical aaaaaaaa

[Rafał Grochala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethnographic and technical overview of MER photography teams. A little too verbose for me.

[Michael Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking book which takes a close look at the Mars Rover teams and how they function. Of particular interest to me here is the way these groups of scientists and engineers learn to see and behave differently as they embody the attributes of the rovers they are guiding millions of miles away.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting, wish I had time to read it in more detail.