Mysteries of Earth and Mars

Mars Facts and Exploration

Quick Facts•   Mars Earth• Average Distance from Sun 142 million miles 93 million miles• Average Speed in Orbiting Sun 14.5 miles/ second 18.5

miles/second• Diameter 4,220 miles 7,926 miles• Tilt of Axis 25 degrees 23.5 degrees• Length of Year 687 Earth Days 365.25 Days• Length of Day 24 hours 37 minutes 23 hours 56

min• Gravity .375 that of Earth 2.66 x that of Mars• Temperature (average) -81 degrees F 57 degrees F• # of Moons 2 1

Weather on Mars

• Dust storms are the main weather feature.

• Top Picture:

Dust storm on Mars• Bottom Picture:

Dust storm on Earth in Africa near equator

Mars Moons- Phobos and Deimos

Mars Topography

Happy Face Crater

Olympus Mons

• Solar system’s largest volcano

• 27 km high (17 miles)• 6 km cliffs at the base

(3.7 mile high)

Valles Marinaris

• Huge Canyon• Length of the United

States• 6-7 times deeper than

the Grand Canyon

Mars Exploration Goals

• Four Science Goals for Mars Exploration

• Goal 1:    Determine if Life ever arose on Mars.

• Goal 2:    Characterize the Climate of Mars.

• Goal 3:    Characterize the Geology of Mars.

• Goal 4:    Prepare for Human Exploration of Mars.

Mars Failures

• Mars Observer 1992• Mars Climate Orbiter

1999• Mars Polar Lander

(Pictured)

/Deep Space 2 1999• 14 USSR/Russian

missions

Mars Exploration

• Mariner flybys and orbiters

• 1960’s• Four successful• Two failures

Viking

• Viking 1 and 2• Orbiters and Landers• Landed in 1976 and

functioned into the 1980’s

• Over 50,000 pictures• Mission: search for

life on Mars

Mars Global Surveyer

• Achieved Mars

Orbit 1996• Still functioning • Mapping the planet

from orbit

Mars Pathfinder• Landed successfully July 4, 1997• First successful Mars Rover• Transmitted for 14 months

Lunar Rover/Mars Pathfinder

Mars View from Pathfinder-Sojourner

Mars Odyssey

• Launched 2001• Orbiter• Currently mapping

Mars from orbit

Mars Explorer Rover Mission

• 2 Rovers:• Spirit and Opportunity• Launched Summer

2003• Landed 2004• Still operating• landing movie

What’s Next?

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

• Launch scheduled for August 10, 2005

• Close up geology pictures

• Looking for ancient seas and hot springs

• Looking for future landing sites

Mars Phoenix

• Launch August 2007• Landing on Mars

North pole area• Lander will dig 0.5

meter trenches and analyze subsurface materials

Mars Science Laboratory

• 2009 launch• Rover with lots of

instruments• Larger than Spirit and

Opportunity• Possible radioisotope

power source

Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

• Launch 2009• Designed to transmit

signals from other probes back to earth

• Will orbit much higher • Will test laser

communication tools

Future Missions in Development

Sample Return Missions

Deep Drilling Landers

Human Exploration

• In Your Lifetime!

PowerPoint by Tom Fitzpatrick

Data and images from NASA/JPL