Mysteries of Earth and Mars

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Mysteries of Earth and Mars
Mars Facts and Exploration
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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

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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

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Mars Moons- Phobos and Deimos
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Mars TopographyHappy Face Crater
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Olympus Mons

• Solar systems largest volcano
• 27 km high (17 miles)
• 6 km cliffs at the base
• (3.7 mile high)

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Valles Marinaris

• Huge Canyon
• Length of the United States
• 6-7 times deeper than the Grand Canyon

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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.
  

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Mars Failures

• Mars Observer 1992
• Mars Climate Orbiter 1999
• Mars Polar Lander (Pictured)
• /Deep Space 2 1999
• 14 USSR/Russian missions

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Mars Exploration

• Mariner flybys and orbiters
• 1960s
• Four successful
• Two failures

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Viking

• Viking 1 and 2
• Orbiters and Landers
• Landed in 1976 and functioned into the 1980s
• Over 50,000 pictures
• Mission search for life on Mars

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Mars Global Surveyer

• Achieved Mars
• Orbit 1996
• Still functioning
• Mapping the planet from orbit

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Mars Pathfinder

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

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Lunar Rover/Mars Pathfinder
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Mars View from Pathfinder-Sojourner
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Mars Odyssey

• Launched 2001
• Orbiter
• Currently mapping Mars from orbit

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Mars Explorer Rover Mission

• 2 Rovers
• Spirit and Opportunity
• Launched Summer 2003
• Landed 2004
• Still operating
• landing movie

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Whats Next?
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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

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Mars Phoenix

• Launch August 2007
• Landing on Mars North pole area
• Lander will dig 0.5 meter trenches and analyze
  subsurface materials

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Mars Science Laboratory

• 2009 launch
• Rover with lots of instruments
• Larger than Spirit and Opportunity
• Possible radioisotope power source

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Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

• Launch 2009
• Designed to transmit signals from other probes
  back to earth
• Will orbit much higher
• Will test laser communication tools

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Future Missions in Development

• Sample Return Missions
• Deep Drilling Landers

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Human Exploration

• In Your Lifetime!

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PowerPoint by Tom Fitzpatrick Data and images
from NASA/JPL