Next to the book of Douglas Crockford, I would also recommend the videos on youtube "Crockford on Javascript". It is fun to watch and gives a good insight where Javascript comes from. If on the otherhand you want a compiler, please do evaluate typescript. It is a language which is strongly typed and compiles to Javascript. Have fun with Javascript.

Those NASA engineers are real engineers sticking to their language they know C/C++. Don't get me wrong, I do like C/C+ (especialy C++11/14), but maybe it would be better they created a DSL (Domain Specific Language) for the control units ( at base station and at space-probe). In stead of using runtime type checking, they could have done compile time type checking, preventing the overhead of the meta-data for the Run Time Type checking. These practices is all well written in the book "Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools" (1st edition dates from 1986). The DSL uses the ISO standard as types and the translator-part of the compiler can add conversion code when they use non ISO standard. It will not prevent human errors, but it will make it more clear what's going on when you use a Meter-type instead of a Feet-type if you writing down the calculation in the source-code of the computer.

to err is human; to forgive, divine