Mars Archives

May 9, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Phoenix Lander Arrives in Florida

The long-lasting Mars rovers are still wandering across the surface of the Red Planet, but they’re about to get a new friend. Next up to land on the surface of Mars is the Phoenix Mars Lander, which recently arrived in Florida in preparation for its upcoming launch. The Phoenix lander was delivered by a US Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft from its manufacturer in Colorado.

If all goes well, the Phoenix Mars Lander will blast off atop a Boeing Delta II rocket as early as August 3rd, 2007. It will make the six month trip to Mars, and then land in a flat plain near the planet’s arctic ice cap. It will use its robotic digging arm and a suite of instruments to determine if the soil holds quantities of water ice – one of the necessary ingredients for life. The detection of ice would bring the possibility of microbial life on Mars one step closer.

Workers from Lockheed Martin Space Systems have been assembling and testing the spacecraft in Denver for the last year. At this point, Phoenix is now safely stowed away inside its back shell, and will stay that way until it launches in August.

NASA will perform a series of tests over the next few weeks, and then install its heat shield and test its ability to separate from the launcher. Just a week before launch, the launch fairing will be installed around the lander and then it will be installed atop the Delta II rocket.

Original Source: NASA News Release

May 4, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Ice Depth Varies Across the Surface of Mars

NASA’s Mars Odyssey has performed a detailed analysis of water ice deposits beneath the surface of Mars, and found they vary greatly in depth. In other words, when future spacecraft land on the surface of Mars and start digging to reach these icy deposits, they might hit paydirt right away, or have to drill and drill and drill.

Mars Odyssey is equipped with Thermal Emission Imaging System as part of its suite of scientific instruments. This camera allows the spacecraft to detect subtle differences in temperature on the Martian surface. Regions which have ice close to the surface retain heat differently than regions where the ice layer is much deeper. This allows scientists to built up a map of ice depth.

In some cases, the ice will only be a few centimetres beneath the Martian surface, while in other situations, it could be many metres deep.

Future spacecraft, such as the Phoenix Mars Lander, may need to dig deep to find the ice.

Original Source: NASA/JPL/ASU News Release

May 4, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Spirit Finds an Ancient Volcanic Explosion

NASA’s Spirit rover has turned up evidence that there was once a massive volcanic explosion in the region it’s currently exploring on the surface of Mars. The region is called “Home Plate”, and it’s an plateau of layered bedrock approximately 2 metres (6 feet) high in Columbia Hills.

Spirit found that that area around Home Plate is mostly basaltic rocks, which are created during very fast lava flows. When the lava makes contact with liquid water, it can explode. So the rocks on Home Plate appear to have been created in this environment of lava and liquid water. More good news for the search for evidence of past liquid water on Mars.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence is what the researchers are calling “bomb sag”. When the lava and water meet, the explosion hurls chunks of rock into the air. One of these pieces of shrapnel came back down and lodged in softer deposits.

It’s hard to believe, but Spirit and Opportunity are now in their 4th year of exploring Mars. NASA reports they’re both in good health and continuing to return science data.

Original Source: NASA/JPL News Release

February 26, 2007March 29, 2013 by Fraser Cain

Rosetta Gets an Amazing View as it Skims Past Mars

This absolutely stunning photograph was taken by ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft during its recent flyby past Mars on Saturday. In order to receive a gravity boost from the planet, the spacecraft flew past only 1,000 km above the surface.
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February 22, 2007December 21, 2015 by Fraser Cain

The Search Continues for Beagle 2

Since its disappearance in December 2003, scientists have continued the search for Europe’s Beagle 2 lander. Although they’ve lost hope in regaining contact, at least they might be able to discover what happened to it and learn from their mistakes.
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February 21, 2007March 24, 2012 by Fraser Cain

Martian Explorers Should Be Looking for Fossils

Instead of just looking for current life on Mars, Arizona State University professor Jack Farmer thinks that future missions should also be looking for ancient fossils on the Red Planet. In fact, he thinks they might be easier to find.
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February 20, 2007December 21, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Rosetta Approaches its Mars Flyby

If you’re waiting for the Rosetta mission to really pay off, you’re going to need a lot of patience. The ESA spacecraft isn’t due to meet up with its target, Comet 67P Churyumov Gerasimenko, until 2014. But there’s a little science coming on February 25th, when the spacecraft swings by Mars.
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February 15, 2007July 31, 2007 by Fraser Cain

Spacecraft Finds Evidence of Underground Fluids on Mars

Here’s an interesting new result from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists announced today that the spacecraft has turned up evidence that some kind of liquid or gas once flowed beneath the surface of Mars.
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February 11, 2007July 31, 2007 by Fraser Cain

Imaging Problems for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Although NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is about to break the record for science data returned from the Red Planet, it’s got a couple of problems that could be getting worse.
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February 5, 2007January 27, 2021 by Fraser Cain

Martian Probes Need to Dig Deeper

If they want to find life on Mars, future explorers will need to dig down deep under the surface. This is according to new research published by University College London Researcher Lewis Dartnell.
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