Astronomy mars section 2 student copy

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