Facts About Mars

The Mars Pathfinder is part of NASA’s discovery program whose motto is “cheaper, faster and better” exploration programs. It consists of low cost spacecrafts and frequent launches. The mission cost one fifteenth of the cost of one of the viking missions.

The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 and landed on an ancient flood plain in Mars called “Ares Vallis”. Scientists chose this location because of the variety of rocks present in the area which is believed to have been deposited by a catastrophic flood. The more rocks, the more specimens for experiment.

The lander was named “Carl Sagan Memorial Station” while the lander was called “Sojourner”, named after American Civil Rights Crusader, Sojourner Truth. The rover was remotely controlled but it can navigate through and around rocks by itself making it navigate the surface of the red planet even without human intervention.

THE MISSION

• Study the atmosphere, climate and geology of the red planet.

• Study the composition of rocks and soil on the red planet.

• Study the mechanical properties of the surface as well as its magnetic properties.

• Study the orbital dynamics of Mars.

Both the lander and rover successfully fulfilled their mission. They actually exceeded the missions timeline, the lander was able to provide over 16,500 images while the rover captured 550 images and more than 15 analyses of rocks and soil and a great amount of data on winds and other factors concerning the weather.

The lander reached the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997 and the final transmission was sent on September 27, 1997. NASA tried to re-establish contact with the pathfinder but eventually ended the mission on March 10, 1998.

EQUIPMENTS (Lander)

• Imager – Used to provide surface and atmospheric images of Mars

• Atmospheric and Meteorological Sensors (ASI/MET) – Observes the atmosphere and determines its temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, atmospheric oxygen and sub surface soil temperatures.

EQUIPMENTS (Rover/Sojourner)

• Cameras – Used to take pictures of Martian rocks and the surface.

• Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometers – Will be used to determine the elements present in Martian rocks and Soil.

• Accelerometer

• Potentiometers

MARS PICTURES

The Sojourner in action.

The twin peaks.

A photo of the Sojourner in action, as taken by the pathfinder lander.

The rock garden.

Another picture of a rock from the red planet.

A rock named “Yogi”, the second rock visited by Sojourner.

The success of the mission also proved that interplanetary missions need not be costly as it was before. The Mars Pathfinder Mission costs a total of $150 million, a very small amount as compared to the costs of the 2 viking missions that cost $935 million in 1994 or 3.5 billion in 1997.

Here’s a great 4 part video in tribute to the success of the Mars Pathfinder Mission. This is a must watch video that will not only educate you about the Mars Pathfinder, it will teach you the value of teamwork as well.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

Mars Climate Orbiter Launched on December 11, 1998 and reached Mars on September 23, 1999. Unfortunately, this was one of the failed Martian missions. It’s main objective was to study the water ice on the polar caps and how it behaves during weather changes and study the weather and atmospheric changes on the red planet. It would also act as an interplanetary weather satellite as well a communication relay or the Mars Polar Lander.

THE MISSION

• Observe the behavior of Martian dust and of volatile materials, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and water ice, for 1 full year.

• Determine how dust and volatile materials behave from season to season. Characterize the composition of the surface of Mars and how it changes over time and search for near surface water ice in the polar region.

• Understand how dust storms happen and how it affects the Martian atmosphere.

• Understand the history of the Martian Climate, which scientists believe to be close to Earth’s climate, meaning warm, full of water, and thicker atmosphere.

EQUIPMENTS

• Pressure Modulator Infrared Remote – Will be used to scan Mars’ atmosphere and measure its temperature, water vapor, dust, and condensate clouds.

• Mars Color Imager – Will provide daily images of the surface of Mars and its atmosphere as it orbits the red planet

The Mars Climate Orbiter is part of a series of Mars exploration missions aimed to understand the composition of the red planet’s surface and atmosphere as well as find traces of water.

Here’s a video of the successful launch of the Mars Climate Orbiter. It’s just so unfortunate that the orbiter got lost upon arrival. Some scientists conclude that the Mars Climate Orbiter must have entered the red planet’s atmosphere too low and it burned up.

Mars Polar Lander is part of the Mars Surveyor program whose main goal is to study the climate and atmosphere in Mars and of course search for water and possibility of life.

Mars Polar Lander was launched on January 3, 1999 at Cape Canaveral air Station in Florida. Unfortunately the lander got lost when it arrived in Mars in December of 1999.

THE MISSION

• Observe the atmosphere and radiative balance of the polar regions in order to understand the weather and seasonal changes in Mars.

• Observe the behavior of Martian dust and of volatile materials, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and water ice, for 1 full year.

• Determine how dust and volatile materials behave from season to season. Characterize the composition of the surface of Mars and how it changes over time and search for near surface water ice in the polar region.

• Understand how dust storms happen and how it affects the Martian atmosphere.

• Understand the history of the Martian Climate.

EQUIPMENTS

• Deep Space 2 Microprobes – Was supposed to be the first probes to penetrate the surface of Mars. The Microprobes carries ten experimental technologies and was supposed to punch through the surface of Mars. About half of the probe will be about 2 feet under the surface of Mars while the other half will be on the surface communicating with the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. Unfortunately, the probes failed to communicate upon landing on Mars’ surface and was considered lost.

• Mars Volatile and Climate Surveyor (MVACS) – The MVACS will be searching for water vapor and ice and determine how it behaves. Searching for water is the main goal of Mars missions and is therefore very important. The MVACS is composed of 5 instruments:

1. Meteorological Package (MET) – Observes the atmosphere and determines its temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, atmospheric oxygen and sub surface soil temperatures.
2. Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) – Takes color surface images.
3. Thermal and Evolved Gas analyzer (TEGA) – Studies the amount of water, carbon dioxide and water bearing minerals in the Martian soil.
4. Robotic Arm (RA) – Digs and collects soil samples to be delivered to the TEGA.
5. Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) – Captures images of the trenches and soil samples.

• Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) – Will provide images as the Mars Polar Lander descends on the Red Planet. Pictures will provide excitement to those watching the landing and provide the sense of being there as well as provide scientific evaluations of the Martian Surface.

• Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and Mars Microphone – Will be used to determine how dust storms form and to learn more about the Martian dust particles and atmospheric structure.

The Mars Polar Lander would have contributed greatly on our quest to find water on Mars and to understand the Martian climate. Questions like “Is there water on Mars?”, Is there or was there life on Mars?”, “What is the climate in Mars?”, “How does the weather change?” could have been answered by the Mars Polar Lander only if it had the chance.

Unfortunately, that is how space exploration missions go. Some fail while some succeed, but surely there was a lesson learned on this mission and it will only make us wiser in the future.

Here is a great animation of how the Mars Polar Lander would have landed in Mars and began its mission.