mars exploration program nsta/itea/nasa-nes robotics institute
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MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAMNSTA/ITEA/NASA-NES ROBOTICS INSTITUTE
Sheri KlugMars Space Flight FacilityArizona State University
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Earth / Mars Comparison
Earth Mars
?
shape shapecolor
color
size
sizetemperature
temperature
atmosphere
atmosphere
polar caps polar caps
magnetic field magnetic field
life
life
weather weather
water
water
Simple Facts About Mars
Diameter: 6794 km (53% of Earth - 4222 mi)
Mars Day: 24 hours, 39.5 minutes
Mars Year: 687 Earth Days
Atmosphere: 95% carbon Dioxide, 3% nitrogen
Gravity: 38% of Earth
Temperature: -140C to 20C (-220F to 68F)
What is the main objective for the
exploration of Mars?
(Poll question)
Characterize the Geology
Determine if Life Ever Arose on Mars
Characterize the Climate
Prepare for Human Exploration
When?Where?Form?
Amount?
MARS SCIENCE STRATEGY:Follow the Water!Common
Thread
LIFE
CLIMATE
GEOLOGY
HUMAN
Water is key to life as we know it on Earth.
Mars Exploration Program Timeline
How often does NASA launch a
spacecraft to Mars?
(Poll question)
MGS has returned more images than all past Mars missions
combined… so far!
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Science Results
• Discovered water ice in the upper few feet of the surface, at near the poles
• Tracked dramatic seasonal changes, such as the comings and goings of polar ice, clouds and dust storms.
• Created maps showing radiation and minerals
Mars Odyssey
OpportunityLanded: January 24, 2004Currently Sol 496
SpiritLanded: January 3, 2004Currently Sol 517
Mars Exploration Rovers
Opportunity Rover Rolling Again!
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter represents the “next generation” of Mars orbiters.
MRO at Kennedy Space Center Clean Room
The Atlas V rocket will launch MRO into space.
Atlas 5 Rocket:Stage 1 blasts off from Earth and Stage 2 powers the spacecraft onto a precise trajectory toward Mars.
Stage 1Atlas booster
MRO spacecraft
Protective nose cone
Stage 2Centaur engine
As with any Mars mission, just getting to the target is half the battle. MRO has many obstacles to overcome…
Obstacle_01: Launch
Sitting on top of a giant, controlled explosion, the spacecraft is subjected to intense vibration and incredible acoustic rumbling from the violent force of the rocket.
Obstacle_02: Cruise
For seven months, the orbiter travels through the freezing vacuum of interplanetary space.
Throughout the 300-million-mile journey, MRO is susceptible to damaging solar particles that can be spewed from the Sun without warning.
< start orbit insertion
< closest approach
< end orbit insertion
March_2006
Obstacle_03: Orbit Insertion
At the precise moment, MRO must execute a 25-minute rocket burn to slow down enough to be captured into orbit. As the spacecraft passes on the far side of Mars, engineers on Earth face complete radio silence.
Obstacle_04: Aerobraking
Streaking across the Martian sky, MRO dips into the atmosphere to trim its orbit to the precise path.
Come in too high, and the thin atmosphere isn’t enough to slow down the spacecraft… too low, and the intense friction destroys the spacecraft.
Obstacle_04: Aerobraking, Cont.
This high-friction, high-intensity process repeats over 500 times!
Each successive dip into the atmosphere tightens up the orbital path until the spacecraft is ready to begin its science mission.
In planning a mission to Mars, what
is the most mission critical part of the
procedure?
(Poll question)
MRO – Searching for the WaterSHARAD: Shallow Radar Instrument Objective: Penetrates the ground to search for water ice at depths greater than three feet.
CRISM SpectrometerObjective: Analyzes the surface, creating a color map of mineral deposits that indicates where water recently lay.
Where is the next landing site for future habitat-seeking rover missions?
CTX camera: Context cameraObjective: Provides wide area views to give context to high-resolution data from other instruments.HiRISE camera: High-res cameraObjective: Zooms in on landforms and debris in areas where water once flowed.
MRO will return a lot of data….
MRO will return 34 terabits of data -- equivalent to about 1,000 DVDs.
Classroom resources to reinforce STEM learning available
Mars Robotics Education Poster & Activities
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom
RockAroundThe World
Send UsYour Rocks!
~ 6400 RocksReceived
The Imagine Mars Project is a science, technology and artsinitiative that guides students to create a community on Mars.This program ties to NASA’s long-term vision for human exploration.
Inner City Student Mars MuralOn Elementary School Wall
Mars Gravity Science through Dance Student Concepts of Mars Colony
Students withArt Projects
SCIENCE THROUGH ARTS & HUMANITIES
Why is NASA interested in having
students participate in their
missions?
(Poll question)
Mars Websiteshttp://mars.jpl.nasa.govhttp:marsed.asu.eduhttp://msip.asu.eduhtttp://marsbound.asu.edu
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