astronomy mars section 2 student copy
TRANSCRIPT
Martian Rovers and Landers
• Viking 1• Viking 2• Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner Rover• Spirit Rover• Opportunity Rover• Phoenix Lander• Curiosity Rover
Viking 1 & 2
• Performed chemical analysis• The reaction between the iron rich soil and
atmospheric Oxygen make iron oxide which gives Mars its color
Martian Landers
• Viking 1 Orbiter • Viking 1 Lander-1976
View from Viking 1-Chryse Planitia
Viking Mission
Viking 1 Lander Scientific Equipment• Launch Date: Aug 20, 1975• Orbital insertion: June 19,
1976• Lander reached surface July
20, 1976-Chryse Planitia• Mission Duration Aug 20,
1975 thru Nov 11, 1982• Imaged in 2006 on the
surface of Mars by MRO
• 2 cameras• Analysis tools
– Metabolic– Photosynthetic– *Gas-chromatograph mass
spectrometer- identifies substances in a soil sample
– X-ray fluorescence spectrometer– Pressure, temperature, wind
velocity sensor– A 3 axis seismometer– Various engineering sensors
Viking 1 Soil Analysis Results
• Soil contained– Silicon– Iron– Magnesium– Aluminum– Sulfur– Chlorine– Calcium– Titanium– Potassium– Trace amounts of
• Strontium• yttrium
• The sulfur and chlorine are likely the result of evaporating sea water
• All soil samples heated in the GCMS gave off water vapor
• Search for life– One experiment gave a
positive result for life– DEBATED to this day!!– Antarctica’s dry areas have no
detectable organic compounds-but there are organisms living in the rocks
Viking 2-Utopia Planitia-1976
Viking Mission
Viking 2 Lander Scientific Equipment• Launched Sept 9, 1975• Orbital insertion August 7,
1976• Lander reached surface
Sept 3, 1976• Mission duration Sept
9,1975 thru April 11, 1980
• 2 cameras• Sampler arm with collector• Temperature sensor, wind
velocity sensor• Magnet• Seismometer• *High gain antenna-sends info
from the lander/rover to the orbiter and then back to Earth
• X-ray fluorescence spectrometer• Pressure sensor
Mars Pathfinder & Sojourner Rover
Testing and Packing up Airbag testing
Mars Pathfinder-1997
Pathfinder Panorama-Ares Vallis
Pathfinder-Sojourner Rover
Landed near an outflow channel Two craft landed on the surface
• Pathfinder– Long life-planned for 1
month, lasted 3 months– Measured the atmosphere
and atmospheric dust
• Sojourner Rover– Chemical analysis of soil and
rocks-consistent w/flood waters
– Round pebbles – Travelled 50 m
Mars Pathfinder (lander)
• Launch date Dec 4, 1996• Landed July 4, 1997• Used the airbag
touchdown• Consisted of a Lander
and a Rover• Mission ended Sept 27,
1997• MRO photographed the
Pathfinder from orbit
• Scientific instruments– Camera– Meteorology package– X-ray Spectrometer
• These instruments measured:– Geology– Geochemistry– Magnetic and mechanical
properties– Atmosphere and rotational
dynamics
More Pathfinder results
• Atmospheric particle size= 1 μm (1 millionth of a meter)
• Soil test indicated a warmer and wetter past• Magnets determined soil contained
maghemite (not pure magnetite)• Using Doppler it was determined the core is
solid
Sojourner Rover (climbed off Pathfinder) ***First rover to be deployed on another planet***
Scientific equipment Findings
• 3 cameras• Laser striper hazard detection
system• X-ray spectrometer
– Examines chemical composition of soil
• Accelerometers– Measures proper acceleration
• Potentiometers– Controls and measures
electrical devices
• Confirmed previous volcanic activity• Found basaltic rock• Found elements:
– Silicon– Magnesium iron silicate– Aluminum silicates of
• Potassium• Sodium• Calcium
– Quartz (silicon dioxide)– Magnetite– Iron sulfide– Calcium phosphates
Magnetite on the Surface of Mars
• Magnetite was an important find on the surface of Mars because:– Magnetite (Fe3 O4 )
• can be broken down into FeO. Fe2O3
• one part wustite and one part hematite• hematite is only formed in the presence of water
– Magnetite is known to be (on Earth) in bacteria, brains of bees, termites, fish, mollusc teeth, some birds, and humans• Used to detect polarity or the inclination of the Earth’s magnetic
field
Delta II Heavy Lifter-Spirit and Opportunity Launch Vehicle
Launch Patch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tma2pt0k6UQ
Mars Exploration Rover Mission-twin rovers-Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Spirit and Opportunity Rovers
Earth from Mars-pic taken by Spirit
Spirit Rover maps
Landing site Traverse Map
Spirit Rover
Remnants Spirit Tracks
Spirit RoverWhat did Spirit do?
• Gusev Crater• Named site “Columbia
Memorial Stadium”• Landed Jan 4, 2004• Planned mission 90
sols(Martian days)• Got stuck in soil on May 1,
2009• Worked as a lander after that• Last communication March
2010• Travelled 7,730.48 m or 4.8 mi
• Histories first grinding of a rock on Mars-using the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT)– Adirondack
• Solar Panel efficiency jumped from 60% to 93% in March 2005-dust devils cleared off the solar panels– http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery
/press/spirit/20050527a.html
• In 2007, Spirit’s stuck wheel revealed a silica rich soil which is similar to hot spring environments on Earth– On Earth, bacteria thrive in hot
springs
First color –Arm-RAT-Dusty Panels
Deimos-Phobos Sunset
Spirit Rover cont.Science Instruments Mission and Findings
• Panoramic camera• Navigation camera• Mini Thermal Emission
Spectrometer (Mini-TES)– ID’s rocks for investigation
• Mossbauer spectrometer– Determines mineral content
• Alpha particle spectrometer– Determines abundance of elements
• Magnets– Collects magnetic dust particles
• Microscopic imager– Close-up images of rocks
• Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) – Exposes rock surface
• Look for evidence of water• Mineral composition of soil
and rocks– Including iron-containing
minerals
• Determine geologic processes and how they effect the chemistry of the planet
• Assess habitability (life)• Spirit Rover found magnetite
in the dust and soil on Mars• Evidence of past water
Opportunity
Landing site Traverse map
Opportunity
Opportunity leaving Eagle Crater
Opportunity Panorama
Opportunity Rover
What did Opportunity do?• Launched July 7, 2003• Landed Jan 25, 2004• Eagle Crater
– Challenger Memorial Stadium
• Planned mission 90 sols (Martian days)
• Currently still operating on Mars
• Longest Mars surface mission
• First discovery of a meteor on another planet –named Heat Shield Rock
• Studied Victoria Crater for 2 years
• Studied many other craters– Endurance Crater– Erebus Crater
• Studying Matijevic Hill overlooking Endeavor Crater
• As of Aug 2012 she has travelled 21 miles
Opportunity Cont.
Science InstrumentsMission and Findings
• Panoramic camera• Navigation camera• Mini Thermal Emission
Spectrometer (Mini-TES)– ID’s rocks for investigation
• Mossbauer spectrometer– Determines mineral content
• Alpha particle spectrometer– Determines abundance of elements
• Magnets– Collects magnetic dust particles
• Microscopic imager– Close-up images of rocks
• Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) – Exposes rock surface
• Reinforced previous findings of the evidence of previous liquid water on Mars
• Hematite-nicknamed blueberries
• Has made astronomical observations
• Has taken atmospheric data
Eagle Crater outcroppings
Martian Hematite
Eagle Crater Hematite Spectograph
Victoria Crater
Heat Shield & Heat Shield Rock
Endurance Crater
Phoenix On the Ground!
Phoenix Lander-Vastitas Borealis
Phoenix Lander
Phoenix Mars Landing: Nerves and Joy
• Video-youtube
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH5pNFROlYU
• Launched-Aug 4, 2007• Landed- May 25, 2008• Shutdown-November 10,
2008• Planned for 90 sols, actual
duration 125 sols
Phoenix instruments
Phoenix Landing site
Phoenix Lander
Scientific instrumentsFindings
• Used MRO to relay info to Earth• Robotic arm• Wet Chemistry Lab
– Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA)
– Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA)• Soil heated to 1,000 C which
causes the gases to be released and sent to the mass spectrometer for analysis
– Microscopic imager
• Polygon shaped surface features– Ice expands and contracts with
temperature change, soil falls into the cracks
• Photographed ice sublimation• Water vapor detected by TEGA’s
mass spectrometer• CONFIRMED WATER ICE ON
MARS• Blobs on the struts of Phoenix
that changed size– Were they salt water that
absorbed more water from the atmosphere?
– Grew for 44 sols and then evaporated
Phoenix landscape sublimation
Phoenix Panorama
Phoenix Lander
(Last slide for Mars Spacecraft Test)
Findings cont.• Soil pH is between 8 and9
(alkaline)• Magnesium• Sodium• Potassium• Chloride• Perchlorate
– act as an antifreeze which lower the freezing point of water
– This would allow the water to be liquid under the temperature and pressure conditions at the Phoenix landing site