Meeting the neighborsThe exploration of Mars

An angry red star

→ It’s distinctive red hue has marked Mars has a notable world throughout human history. Recorded observations stretch back more than 3,500 years.

Reversing course

→ Although all the planets appear to travel backwards, or retrograde, the motion of Mars is the most obvious.

Expanding the toolkit

→ Galileo Galilei began observing Mars in September of 1610 using his new telescope. For the first time, accurate observations about the size of the planet could be determined.

Galileo’s key observation: over a two-year period, Mars appeared to change size by a factor of four.

Mapping an alien world

→ In 1659, Christian Huygens created the first known map of Mars. It depicted a dark region today known as Syrtis Major.

The curse of canals

→ Around 1886, Giovanni Schiaparelli published the first detailed map of Mars. On it, he noted structures he denoted canali.

Capturing the public’s imagination

→ American Percival Lowell spent the last 20 years of his life in search of a dying civilization on Mars. His thinking inspired a generation of science fiction writers.

A rocky relationship

→ Combined, six space agencies have launched 55 missions to explore Mars. Only 27 have succeeded.

The moment of truth

→ In late 1964, Mariner 4 became the first spacecraft to fly by Mars. It returned 21 images which proved Mars was not a wet world.

Sticking around

→ In November 1971, Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to enter orbit about another planet. From such a vantage point, it could make long-term observations, which resulted in images of 85% of the surface

Twins in exploration

→ In 1975, Viking 1 and Viking 2 arrived at Mars. Each consisted of an orbiter and a lander and together they revolutionized our understanding of the planet.

A growing fleet

→ There are currently seven missions studying Mars

Rovers:

Curiosity (NASA)

Opportunity (NASA)

Orbiters:

Mars Odyssey (NASA)

Mars Express (ESA)

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA)

Mars Orbiter Mission (India)

MAVEN (NASA)

Coming soon

→ Several missions will arrive at Mars in the next few years

ExoMars (ESA), orbiter and lander, en route

InSight (NASA), lander, delayed to 2018

Mars 2020 (NASA), rover, planned for 2020

Mars Hope (UAE), orbiter, planned for 2020

China 2020 (China) orbiter and rover, planned for 2020

Focusing on loss

→ NASA’s MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated exclusively to studying the atmosphere of Mars. It was developed here at CU-Boulder.

MAVEN results thus far

→ One key result of MAVEN is the confirmation that atmosphere escapes to space more rapidly when the Sun is very active.

Blazing the trail

→ In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft arrived on Mars with a tiny rover named Sojourner. It was the first to rove another planet.

Working as a team

→ In 2004, the Mars Exploration Rover program reached Mars. It consisted of two rovers operating on different parts of the planet.

Mission objectives:

● Search for rocks and soil that show evidence of past water on Mars● Assess the distribution of minerals around the landing site● Identify which geologic processes most shape the planet’s surface● Provide a calibration check for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter● Characterize the environmental conditions that water may have

enabled● Determine whether the environment was conducive to life

Each rover was designed to last for 90 days.

Spirit

→ Spirit landed in Gusev crater, a large crater that appears to be a dried-up lake bed.

Opportunity

→ Opportunity landed in Meridiani Planum, which orbiters had identified was rich in the mineral hematite. On Earth, hematite often forms in the presence of liquid water.

NASA’s greatest success?

→ Opportunity was designed to last for 90 days. As of today, it has operated on Mars for 4622 days. No vehicle has ever traveled farther on the surface of another world.

As of late 2013, Opportunity had returned 186,246 images of Mars.

Heading up north

→ The Phoenix Mars Lander was the first and only spacecraft to ever land near the north pole of Mars.

The selfie machine

→ In 2012, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars. Unlike previous rovers, it is powered by nuclear energy, not solar panels.

Growing up