Download Section 22.3: Space Probes

Objectives
Describe 5 discoveries made by space probes
Explain how space-probe missions help us
better understand the Earth
Describe how NASA’s new strategy of “faster,
cheaper, and better” relates to space probes
Space Probe
Un-crewed vehicle that carries scientific
instruments to planets or other bodies in space
Complete missions that would be dangerous or
expensive for humans to undertake
Closer To Home: Inner
Solar System
Much closer than other planets in the solar
system
Missions to:
Moon
Venus
Mars
Luna & Clementine
Soviet Union
United States
Luna 1: Fist space probe
that flew past the moon
launched in 1959
Clementine (1994):
Crater of the moon may
contain water
Luna 9: First landing on
the moon’s surface
launched in 1966
Lunar Prospector (1998):
Frozen water exists on
the moon
Luna & Clementine
Venus
Venera 9:
Soviet Union launch in 1975
Parachuted into Venus’s atmosphere and sent images and
data back to Earth
Surface Temperature ~464 degrees Celsius
Atmospheric pressure much higher than on Earth
Chemistry showed similar rocks to Earth
Severe Greenhouse effect  Our atmosphere?
Venera 9
Venus
Magellan:
United States launched in 1989
Used radar to map 98% of the surface of Venus
Used to generate 3-D images
Geology of Venus is similar to Earth:
Plate Tectonics
Active Volcanoes
Magellan Image From Venus:
Volcanic Pancake Domes
Mars
Viking Missions:
Pair of probes launched by U.S. in 1975
Look for signs of life by gathering soil and
analyzing
Found that Mars was once warmer and wetter
Only led to more questions about Mars
Viking 2 Obiter
Right: Dust Storm On Mars Taken
by Viking 2 Orbiter
Mars
Mars Pathfinder:
Launched by the U.S. in 1996
Could explore Mars at a lower cost than Viking
Images showed dry water channels  Mars once had
water
Sojourner:
Collected data and images for 3 months as moved around
the planet’s surface
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Science Laboratory
(Curiosity)
Eight Science Objectives:
1. Nature & Inventory of Carbon
2. Look for building blocks of life
3. Effects of biological processes
4. Investigate composition of surface
5. Process of Earth & soil
development
6. Atmospheric evolution process
7. Cycling of water and carbon
dioxide
8. Determine surface radiation
Far Out:
The Outer Solar System
These probes take longer to reach their
destination
Outer Solar System:
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus/Neptune/Pluto
Pioneer
Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11
Launch by the U.S. in 1972
First to study the outer solar system
Sampled solar wind: the flow of particles coming
from the sun
Pioneer 10 (1983) because the first to travel past
Pluto
Voyager
First to detect Jupiter’s faint rings
Flew by all four gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune)
Some are still sending back data from past the
edge of the solar system
Jupiter
Galileo Missions:
Launched in 1989 and arrived at Jupiter in 1995
Sent a smaller probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere to measure
composition, density, temperature, and cloud structure
Studied Geology of major moons
Two moons had magnetic field
Europa has an ocean of liquid water under its icy surface
Saturn
Cassini Mission
Launch in 1997, seven year journey to Saturn
where it toured Saturn’s moons
Huygens probe descended into Saturn’s moon
Titan
Interested in Titan because of its atmosphere
Discovery
Planetary Science Investigations
Smaller missions using fewer resources and
shorter development times
Enhance our understanding of the solar system
Improve performance through the use of new
technology and broaden participation in NASA
missions