Current Events: Mars

1
Current Events Mars

• The New Race

By Andres Quiroga
Courtesy of space.com
2
Background

• In July, 20 1976 Viking 1 lander became the first
  probe from Earth to land intact on Mars. It
  operated for more than 6 years.
• On Sept. 3, 1976, Viking 2 set down at Utopia
  Planitia

• Two landers 4,500 images. more than 3 million
  weather meas.
• The Viking orbiters took 52,000 images covering
  97 of Mars

3
Ctd.

• USSR fails with Phobos 1 2 in 1988. The USA
  fails with Mars Observer in 1997.
• USA launches Mars Global Surveyor in Nov 1996.
  Orbiting Mars since Sept. 1997. More than 40,000
  images scanned magnetic stripes.
• Mars Pathfinder landed on July 4th 1997.
• More Failures Mars Climate Orbiter 1998, Mars
  Polar Lander Deep Space 2 1999

4
The 2001 Odyssey

• Entered Martian orbit in October 24, 2001
• Working overtime after completing prime mission
  discovered vast supplies of frozen water, safety
  check for future astronauts mapped surface
  textures minerals

5
The Present NASA vs. ESA

• The NASA rover Spirit arrived at Gusev Crater
  on Jan. 3, 2004. Has traveled 2.4 miles
• Opportunity landed
• at Meridiani Planum on
• Jan. 24, 2004

6
Ctd.

• Both Rovers have found strong evidence of water.
  Opportunity revealed the presence of the mineral
  Jarosite the Hematite blueberries
• Spirit found evidence of past water flow on rocks

7
The ESA Response

• The ESA launched the Mars Express the Beagle 2
  Lander on June 2, 2003. First interplanetary
  fully European mission
• Six days before arrival the Beagle Lander was
  ejected towards Mars but never made it after
  losing contact with the orbiter Earth
• The Mars Express
• entered Martian Orbit
• on December 25, 2003
• Lowest-cost mission to
• Mars so far.

8
New Debate Life on Mars?

• In Sept. 04 the ESA released data detailing an
  overlap of methane water vapor in 3 equatorial
  regions.
• Some scientists link methane residues with
  underground bacterial life. NASA is skeptic

9
The NASA Rebels

• 02/16/2005 two scientists, Carol Stoker and Larry
  Lemke of NASAs Ames Research Center reported
  they have found strong evidence that life may
  exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and
  sustained by pockets of water
• Findings submitted to journal nature being
  reviewed by peers
• 2 days later NASA
• spokesman denies there is
• enough evidence promises
• further studies

10
All eyes on Mars Express!

• In May the ME is expected to to deploy its MARSIS
  (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and
  Ionospheric Sounding) instrument, designed to
  probe below the planets surface

11
Greetings From Mars