Transcript Modern Exploration - Mars Pathfinder

Interlude
 Viking mission operations ended in the early 1980s
 Viking missions gave scientists the most complete picture of
Mars to date. What does this picture look like?
 Geologically diverse
 Dynamic atmosphere (weather)
 Large scale, global evidence of modification of liquid water in the past.
How long was the water stable?
Interlude
 Attempts to explore Mars did not start up again until the
early 1990s.
 The first one failed.
 The next two gave Mars a face-lift and showed a new way
to explore.
Modern Exploration
Mars Pathfinder
 “NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission – the first spacecraft to
land on Mars in more than 20 years and the first ever to
send a rover out to independently explore the Martian
landscape – is set for touchdown July 4, initiating a new
era of scientific exploration that will lead eventually to
human expeditions to the red planet.”
Mars Pathfinder Landing Press Kit, July 1997
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
 The primary mission objectives were to demonstrate the
feasibility of low-cost landings on, and exploration of, the
Martian surface (Faster, Better, Cheaper)
 Scientific objectives included atmospheric entry science,
long-range and close-up surface imaging; the general
objective was to characterize the Martian environment for
further exploration
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
 Launched December 4, 1996; landed July 4, 1997 in Ares
Vallis which was believed to be the site of an ancient flood
 Landing site selection made using Viking orbiter imagery
 First rover, first to use airbags
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
 Lander Instruments
 Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP); the lander was responsible
for imaging the rover and relaying data from the rover back to
Earth
 Meteorological Station
 Rover Instruments
 Three cameras, two stereo cameras in the front and a rear
color imaging system; cameras worked in tandem with a
laser system to detect and avoid obstacles
 Alpha-Proton-X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS); assess the
composition of rocks and soils
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
 Notable results from Pathfinder
 More than 16,500 images from the lander and 550
images from the rover
 More than 15 chemical analyses of rocks and soil and
extensive data on winds and other weather factors
 Findings from the investigations carried out by scientific
instruments on both the lander and the rover suggest
that Mars was at one time in its past warm and wet, with
water existing in its liquid state and a thicker
atmosphere
Modern Exploration
Pathfinder
 How did Pathfinder advance scientific understanding of
Mars?
 Evidence on the ground for a warm, wet past
 What technological advance(s) did Pathfinder carry?
 First rover; can be remotely operated
 New landing system
ALTAs!!!
Modern Exploration
Mars Global Surveyor
 “The mission will provide a global portrait of Mars as it
exists today…This new view will help planetary scientists
to better understand the history of Mars' evolution, and will
provide clues about the planet's interior and surface
evolution. With this information, we will have a better
understanding of the history of all of the inner planets of
the solar system, including our home planet, Earth.”
Glenn E. Cunningham, Project Manager
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Objectives:
 High resolution imaging of the surface
 Study the topography and gravity
 Study the role of water and dust on the surface and in the
atmosphere
 Study the weather and climate of Mars
 Study the composition of the surface and atmosphere
 Study the existence and evolution of the Martian magnetic
field
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Objectives:
 High resolution imaging of the surface
 Study the topography and gravity
 Study the role of water and dust on the surface and in the
atmosphere
 Study the weather and climate of Mars
 Study the composition of the surface and atmosphere
 Study the existence and evolution of the Martian magnetic
field
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Launched November 7, 1996; arrived at Mars on
September 12, 1997
 Spent the next 16 months “aerobraking”, began mapping
the surface in March 1997
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Instruments
 Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC); capture high-resolution images
of the surface (1.5 meters per pixel)
 Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES); investigate thermal
properties of rocks and soils, collect mineralogy data
 Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA); elevation data
 Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer; search for evidence
of a planetary magnetic field
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Instruments
 Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC); capture high-resolution images
of the surface (1.5 meters per pixel)
 Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES); investigate thermal
properties of rocks and soils, collect mineralogy data
 Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA); elevation data
 Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer; search for evidence
of a planetary magnetic field
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 Notable results from Global Surveyor
 Mars has a layered crust to depths of 10 km or more. To
produce the layers, large amounts of material had to be
weathered, transported and deposited.
 The northern hemisphere is probably just as cratered as the
southern hemisphere, but the craters are mostly buried.
 Hundreds of gullies were discovered that were formed from
liquid water, possibly in recent times.
 Some areas are covered by hematite-rich material. The
hematite could have been put in place by liquid water in the
past.
 The Thermal Emission Spectrometer found that just about all
of the surface of Mars is covered with volcanic rock.
Modern Exploration
Global Surveyor
 How did Global Surveyor advance scientific understanding
of Mars?
 Smoking gun evidence that liquid water was stable on the
surface for long periods of time
 Mars exhibits a “global dichotomy” in terms of topography
 What technological advance(s) did Global Sureyor carry?
 Highest-resolution cameras, for the time
 Laser altimeter
 TES; lithology, mineralogy