Transcript Missions to Mars

MISSIONS TO MARS
Probing the Red Planet
Mars in Books, Movies, TV, Radio
Planets of Our Solar System
Scaled to Size (above) and Orbits (below)
Inner (Terrestrial) Planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, MARS
Outer Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
MARS BASICS
Similar to Earth: day, seasons, polar ice caps
Different: dry, cold, thin atmosphere (CO2)
Mars Probe Highlights
1965 – First FLYBY (Mariner 4)
1971 – First ORBITER (Mariner 9)
1976 – First LANDER (Viking)
1997 – First ROVER (Sojourner)
Later Rovers
Opportunity (2004)
Curiosity (2012)
1965 – First FLYBY (Mariner 4)
many impact craters, no signs of civilization
(but limited resolution, limited area seen)
From 1971 (Mariner 9) on – detailed views of entire
surface of Mars from several ORBITERS
NORTH POLAR ICE CAP
grows & shrinks with seasons – mix of dry ice (CO2) & water ice (H2O)
OLYMPUS MONS (Mount Olympus)
Extinct Volcano – 14 miles high
(highest mountain in solar system)
VALLES MARINERIS
Valley 2500 miles long, 12 miles wide, 4.5 miles deep
(largest in the solar system)
HELLAS CRATER
One of the largest impact craters in the solar system
(1400 miles wide, over 4 miles deep)
GULLIES IN CRATER WALL
(evidence of water flow in planet’s past?)
PROBABLE DRIED RIVERBEDS
Many surface markings on Mars suggest former presence of liquid water
(suggests planet was warmer and wetter in distant past)
Topographical map – colors show heights,
letters show location of NASA landers & rovers
Landers - V=Viking (1976) , P=Phoenix (2008)
Rovers – Soj = Sojourner (1997), Sp = Spirit (2004),
Opportunity (2004), Curiosity (2012)
VIEW FROM FIRST LANDER (1976 – VIKING 1)
Viking also dug into soil for evidence of life
(found no incontrovertible evidence)
1997 - FIRST ROVER (SOJOURNER) LEAVING LANDER
Lander (Pathfinder) made bounce landing on airbags
SOJOURNER EXAMINING “YOGI” ROCK
Rover carried scientific equipment to identify minerals in rocks
BIGGER AND BETTER – OPPORTUNITY (2004)
COMPARED TO SOJOURNER (1997)
The larger Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) landed in 2004
Spirit lasted until 2010, Opportunity still going!
OPPORTUNITY LEAVING EAGLE CRATER
Bounce landing into Eagle Crater (about 25 yards wide, 1 yard deep)
After examining rock outcrops in Eagle Crater, rover moved on to other craters
BURNS CLIFF INSIDE ENDURANCE CRATER
(400 feet wide, 66 feet deep)
Believed to be Sedimentary Rock Deposited in Ancient Lake
OPPORTUNITY LEAVING VICTORIA CRATER (2008)
The Rover spent two years at this crater, first studying
rocks along the rim - and later the interior
WATER ON MARS
No liquid water on surface today
(perhaps some underground)
Surface water ice at poles
LOTS of water ice below the surface
Much evidence of liquid water in distant past
(surface markings, sedimentary rocks,
minerals known to form from water)
BIGGER AND BETTER YET
ROVER CURIOSITY (2012) VS. OPPORTUNITY (2004)
Earlier rovers powered by solar panels
Curiosity powered by radioactivity (plutonium)
CURIOSITY
Bigger and heavier (2000 pounds)
with more scientific equipment than earlier rovers (to measure
composition of rocks, look for evidence of past water, livability of Mars)
SPACECRAFT CARRYING CURIOSITY
(Mars Science Laboratory)
MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY (with nose cone )
Nose cone reduces air resistance during launch
LAUNCH ON ATLAS ROCKET –November 26, 2011
Launch of over a million pounds (mostly rocket and fuel), space ship to
Mars over 8,000 pounds – all to land 2,000-pound rover Curiosity
GETTING FROM EARTH TO MARS
(from a fast-moving object to a fast-moving object)
Spaceship typically travels about 300 million miles
and about 8 months to reach Mars
LANDING OF CURIOSITY – August 6, 2012
Slowed by parachute and downward-directed rockets, lowered on “sky crane”
GALE CRATER - LANDING SPOT OF CURIOSITY
Plans to explore Mount Sharp, mountain in center of crater
(layered rock, thought to be sedimentary)
PICTURES FROM CURIOSITY!
south towards Mount Sharp – north towards crater wall
ROCK LAYERS ON MOUNT SHARP
Curiosity landed about 5 miles from Mount Sharp, and will be
gradually heading there to analyze the layered rocks
CURIOSITY TRACKS ON MARS!
Photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from about 200 miles above
CURIOSITY FINDS REMAINS OF MARTIAN STREAMBED
Rocks were rounded by tumbling in flowing water
(Curiosity tweets “a river ran through it”)
PLANNED FIRST TRIP FOR CURIOSITY (MSL)
View from orbiter also shows location of other parts of spacecraft
ASTRONAUTS TO MARS?
Spiro Agnew (1969): “next major space goal should be
a manned landing on Mars by the end of the century”
George H. W. Bush (1989): “a manned mission to Mars”
George W. Bush (2004): “human missions to Mars”
Barack Obama (2010): “By the mid-2030s, I believe we
can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely
to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I
expect to be around to see it.”
NASA? European Space Agency? China? Private capital?