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Mars Elena Zhang and Karen Tekverk http://www.nasaimages.org - Mars: Closest Approach 2007 Background Information • • • • • • • Mass: 6.42 x 1023 kg or 0.11 Earths Distance from Sun: 1.524 AU Radius: 3390 km or 0.53 Earth radii Average density: 3.93 g/cm3 0.38x Earth’s gravity at surface 0.006x Earth’s atmosphere at surface Atmospheric composition: – – – – 95.3% CO2 2.7% N2 1.6% Ar 0.4% other (Adapted from Planets and Life Table 18.1, page 358) http://www.nasaimages.org - Mars Background Information • Dense core of indeterminate size – either small dense Fe core, or larger less dense FeS core • No global-scale plate tectonics, but some tectonic processes – volcanism (Tharsis), grabens and faults (Valles Marineris) • Evidence for liquid water on ancient Mars surface • There are a few dozen Martian meteorites that have landed on the Earth, know collectively as SNC meteorites, and ALH84001 • Composition of Martian crust (from Viking analysis): – – – – – – – – 43.4% SiO2 18.2% Fe2O3 7.2% Al2O3 7.2% SO3 6.0% MgO 5.8% CaO 1.34% Na2O ~3% other http://www.nasaimages.org - Mars Mars Flyover http://www.nasaimages.org - Mars Flyover based on MOLA Data for the Carl Sagan Lecture, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio • First shown: South Pole • Three linear volcanoes: Tharsis Rise • North Pole • Largest volcano: Olympus Mons • Valles Marineris • Colors illustrate 22 km of altitudinal variation – blue is the lowest Previous Exploration Landmarks and Other Spacecraft • Viking 1 and 2, 1975, first to land on surface and take images • Mars Observer, 1992, orbiter • Climate Orbiter, 1998, weather satellite • Polar Lander / Deep Space 2, 1999, lost on arrival Planets and Life, page 358 Current Missions Pheonix •Launch: Aug 4, 2007 •Arrival: May 25, 2008 •Dig up and analyze icy soil at north polar region Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter •Launch: Aug. 12 2005 •Arrival: Mar. 10, 2006 •Telescopic camera Mars Exploration Rovers •Spirit Lauch: Jun 10, 2003 – Arrival: Jan 3, 2004 •Opportunity Launch: Jul 7, 2003 – Arrival: Jan 24, 2004 •Search for evidence of liquid water Mars Express •Launch: Jun 2, 2003 •Arrival: Dec 2003 •Explore atmosphere and surface from polar orbit Mars Odyssey •Launch: Apr 7, 2001 •Arrival: Oct 24, 2001 •Orbiting spacecraft, determine composition of surface, detect water and shallow buried ice, study radiation environment Future Missions Mars Science Laboratory •Launch: Fall 2011 •Arrival: 2012 •Curiosity Rover, 2x long, 3x heavy as previous rovers •Over $2.5 billion •Collect soil samples, rock cores, analyze for organic compounds and environmental conditions that could have supported microbial life Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) •Launch 2013 •Arrival: 2014 •Atmosphere, climate history, potential habitability Previous Claims of Life on Mars • “Canals” (so named by Percival Lowell) • Blueberries (actually hematite spherules) • Crinoids (actually water features) • “The Couch” http://www.nasaimages.org Terrain and rock “Couch” http://www.nasaimages.org - Two Types of Round Pebbles in ‘Endurance’, NASA/JPL/Cornell http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031112. html - Mars Then And Now www.imdb.com Characteristics of Planetary Life • Elemental building blocks of life – C, H, O, N… • Molecular building blocks of life – amino acids, sugars • Life begins to exist quickly after it becomes possible • Environmental requirements for life straightforward and widespread • Almost any geologically active planet could foster life, including Mars Previous Evidence for Martian Life • Spirit Rover • Comanche rock outcrop rich in carbonates found in Gusev Crater • Could be due to aqueous processes, or volcanic activity http://www.nasaimages.org - MOLA-based Flyover of Gusev Crater, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Previous Evidence for Martian Life • Spirit Rover • Stratified soil layers with different compositions • Snow melt might have carried soluble minerals (ferric sulfate) lower than less soluble minerals (hematite, silica, gypsum) http://www.nasaimages.org - Sprit Stuck in Soft Soil as Engineers Devise Methods to Free Spirit Previous Evidence for Martian Life • Methane gas identified in 2003-2004 • Active hot spots of methane • Chemical processes rapidly destroy methane (oxidizing agents) • Source: could be geology (water and rock) or biology • Next step: test abundance of molecular trace species, isotopic analysis (MSL) Previous Evidence for Martian Life • 300 billion year old deposits of hydrated silica found on volcanic cone (by Mars Recon Orbiter) • Silica can be transported, dissolved, and concentrated by hot water or steam • Indicates possible hydrothermal environment (hot spring) Cost of Current Missions Phoenix •$325 million Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter •Total cost: $720 million •Cost of spacecraft and science instruments: $450 million •Launch: $90 million •Mission operations: $180 million Mars Exploration Rovers •Total cost of building, launching, landing, and operating for initial 90-day mission: $820 million •Four mission extensions = $104 million •Fifth mission extension = at least $20 million Mars Express •Total cost: About $369 million •Orbiter: About $179 million •Lander: About $95.5 million Mars Odyssey •Total cost: About $300 million •Development and construction: $165 million •Launch: $53 million •Operations: $79 million http://www.nasaimages.org - Mars Odyssey Seen by Mars Global Surveyor, NASA/JPL/MSSS NASA’s Proposed Budget for 2012 (in millions of dollars) 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2009 Mars Science Lab 138.0 42.0 38.5 0.0 0.0 MAVEN 245.7 146.4 37.6 17.3 5.3 Other missions and data analysis 218.6 253.0 337.9 294.6 241.9 Total Mars Exploration 602.2 441.4 414.0 311.9 247.2 Total NASA budget 18,724.3 Our Proposed Budget • For an orbiter and rover (there and back): Approximately $2.7 billion • About 14% of NASA’s total 2012 budget (or, for reference, about 0.4% of Department of Defense’s 2011 budget) • Ways to cut costs: » Wait for a return on information from the Mars Science Laboratory, designed to give a better background on how and where life might have existed on Mars » Allow for contractors to have rights to anything patented in the process http://www.nasaimages.org - The Beagle 2 lander, ESA