Mars Facts GT
What are three main details regarding the first man-made object to orbit the Earth?
1957 was when the first man-made object, Sputnik(by Energia), orbited the earth. It was 23 inches in diameter, weighed around 184 pounds (weight of average adult), circled the globe every 96 minutes, it made 1440 orbits before landing on earth, and could go up to 18,000 miles per hour.
What is the difference between a Mars flyby, Mars orbiter, Mars lander, and a Mars rover?
A Mars flyby is a movement of spacecraft passing in the vicinity of the planet Mars, but not entering orbit or landing on it. A mars rover is a vehicle that moves around the planet. A lander lands softly on Mars's surface and then stays there at rest. An orbiter orbits mars and does not touch the surface.
What is the name of Mars' day and how does its length compare to Earth's?
A Mars' day is called a sol, and it takes around 25 hours to make a full rotation.
What is the primary ingredient in the Martian atmosphere?
According to Mars Education at Arizona State University, the atmosphere of Mars is made up of 95% carbon dioxide. It also contains nitrogen, argon, and a small percentage of other gasses.
What color is the typical Mars' sky during sunrise, midday and sunset?
During sunrise and sunset, the sky looks blueish. During the day, the sky looks more orange and yellow. The color of the sky changes throughout the day depending on how much light is passing through the atmosphere.
What is the gravity of Earth relative to (how many times) that of Mars?
Earth's gravity is 2.66 times that of Mars. (Mars gravity is 38% of Earths)
What are the main differences between Mars' Borealis Basin and Hellas Basin?
First, let's define an impact basin. Impact basins are the scars left over on Mars' surface caused by asteroid impacts. The Borealis Basin is the largest and oldest giant impact basin on Mars and is 6,000 miles wide and encompasses most of the northern hemisphere. This basin is almost as wide as the distance from here to the southern tip of South America! The Hellas Basin is smaller and about 1,200 miles wide. That's about the distance from here to Kansas.
What year did H.G. Wells write War of the Worlds and in what year did it create pandamonium when it was dramatized on the radio by Orson Welles?
HG Wells wrote War of Worlds in 1897, and it was broadcasted in 1938, and this story was mainly about a martian invasion and told by the narrator and his brother.
What was the main objective of Elon Musk in creating SpaceX?
He created SpaceX to revolutionize the aerospace industry and make spaceflight affordable for anyone. He wanted to improve space transportation, and make life multiplanetary.
Before he created SpaceX, what two FAMOUS companies was Elon Musk integral in creating that gave him the capital to start SpaceX?
He started and once founded Paypal which was a virtual way to pay for online goods securely. He created and still is the CEO of Tesla, which is an electrical car company that also creates self driving cars, and AI for the cars.
How did Mars get its name?
It is named after the Roman's god of war due to the reddish hue of the planet which resembles blood.
How long does it take Mars to orbit the sun relative to (how many times) that of Earth?
It takes 687 Earth days for Mars to orbit the sun, which is around twice as long as how long the Earth takes.
At closest orbits, approximately how long does it take for radio signals (which travel at the speed of light) to go from Earth to Mars?
It takes about 5-20 minutes for radio signals to go from Earth to Mars, depending on the position of the Earth.
Currently, the shortest flight to Mars from Earth takes approximately how many months?
It will take 7 months which is a little more than half a year.
Why does the surface of Mars appear red?
Its soil contains iron oxide or rust particles in it, and the atmosphere is pink because the soil is usually blown into the air from extreme winds.
Which US-made Mars spacecraft has been operational longer than any other?
Mars Odyssey is the longest Us-made Mars spacecraft still in operation. It launched April 7th of 2001 and it's almost been 21 years! (set to orbit Mars)
What is the most profound and dangerous weather condition on Mars?
Mars is famous for its intense dust storms, which can range from small tornadoes to planet-wide phenomena. Instances of the latter coincide with dust being blown into the atmosphere, causing it to be heated up from the Sun. (Lasts from 2 weeks to 1-2 months)
How is the size of Mars compared to the other 7 planets in the solar system?
Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system (smallest is Mercury). —--------------- Mars is less than half the size of Earth. Mars is more than half the size of Venus Mars is about 1.25x the size of Mercury Jupiter is 22x the size of Mars Saturn is about 19x the size of Mars Uranus is 8x the size of Mars Neptune is about 8x that of mars
What is the thickness of Mars' atmosphere relative to Earth's?
Mars' atmosphere is 100 times less dense than Earth's (atmospheric volume is less than 1% that of Earth's).
What is the volume and mass of Earth relative to (how many times) that of Mars?
Mars' volume is the equivalent of 0.151 Earths (about 1/10), and it has around 10 times less mass than Earth.
What does NASA consider as the first lander to successfully touch down on the surface of Mars?
Nasa considers Viking 1 the first lander to successfully touch down on the surface of Mars (July 20th, 1976).
Which companies are associated with the following structures/ space vehicles? New Glenn - CST-100 Starliner - Starship - Mars Base Camp - The Gateway - SLS Space Launch System -
New Glenn - Blue Origin CST-100 Starliner - Boeing Starship - SpaceX Mars Base Camp - Lockheed Martin The Gateway - NASA ('merica), JAXA(Japan), CSA(Canada), and ESA(Europe because it has to be the one with all these different member countries). SLS Space Launch System - Aerojet Rocketdyne, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance
What are the names/landing years of the 9 successful spacecraft that NASA LANDED on Mars?
Perseverance - 2021 (Rover) Insight - 2018 (Lander) Curiosity - 2012 (Rover) Phoenix - 2008 (Lander) Spirit - 2004 (Rover) Opportunity - 2004 (Rover) Pathfinder - 1997 (Lander) Sojourner - 1997 (Rover) Viking 2 - 1976 (Lander) Viking 1 - 1976 (Lander)
What is the range of and average temperature on Mars?
Ranges from -220 (-140C) to 70ºF (21C) and averages -80ºF (-62C).
What was the name of the rover Spirit's twin and when did they both land on Mars? What method did they use to safely land on Mars?
Rover Spirit's twin is called Opportunity. Spirit landed in the Gusev crater on January 3rd, 2004, while Opportunity landed 3 weeks later on January 24th in the Meridiani Planum (equatorial plain). They landed on mars by bouncing on the surface with airbags protecting the rover.
How long did(have) each of the FIVE US rovers function(ed) on Mars?
Sojourner - 85 DaysSpirit - 6 years Opportunity - 15 years Curiosity - 8 years so farPerseverance - 1 year so far
What does terraforming mean and how could it be done on Mars?
Terraforming, which literally means "Earth Shaping", is the hypothetical process of changing the temperature, atmospheric conditions, topography, and other features of a celestial body to be more similar to Earth to make it more habitable to humans and other lifeforms from Earth. In order to make Mars more habitable, we would have to find a way to introduce more carbon dioxide and oxygen into the atmosphere to heat up the planet, make the atmosphere more breathable, and melt any ice on mars to liquid water. Elon Musk even proposed hitting Mars's ice caps with nuclear weapons. However, if we do somehow manage to introduce enough of these gasses to make the conditions of Mars Earth-like, it will not last for long because the magnetic field is too weak. We do not currently have the technology or knowledge to alter the magnetic field, so terraforming is pretty much impossible right now.
What is the ESA and what is its next mission to Mars?
The ESA is the European Space Agency established in 1975, headquartered in France. It was founded by 10 European countries and is organized by 22 member states (list them). Its next mission to mars is ExoMars 2022 (meant to launch in 2020) set to launch on September 20th but then changed to 2022 due to Russia's attack on Ukraine. (trying to search for past life on Mars and investigate current environments
What was the first rover to successfully drive on the surface of Mars?
The First rover to successfully drive on the surface of Mars was the Mars Pathfinder's Sojourner (saw journ er) Rover. (July 4th, 1997) - A six wheeled rover - it took 10 minutes for information from the rover to return to Earth - transmitted data for 3 months and shut down - in the Ares Vallis channel
What is the name of the longest canyon on Mars and how does it compare in depth to Earth's Grand Canyon?
The Longest canyon on Mars is Valles Marineris, it is 8 kilometers deep. The grand canyon is only around 1.8 kilometers deep. So Valles Marineris is around 4 times deeper.
What is the MMX mission and what space agency created it? What will it do that no other
The MMX mission (Martian Moons eXploration) is a robotic space probe set to launch in 2024 to bring back the first samples from Phobos (also do a little orbit around deimos although no one seems to care about it). JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) is the agency who created it. [Launch - 2024 | Landing - 2025| Completion - 2027\28 | Comeback - 2029 | Announced June 9th 2019]
What is the name of the only failed lander launched by NASA?
The Mars Polar Lander is the only failed lander launched by NASA. It was launched on January 3rd, 1999 to study the soil and climate near Mars's south pole. On December 3rd of that same year, as the lander was descending toward the surface of Mars, communication was cut off. This cutoff was originally meant to be temporary, but when NASA tried to reestablish communication with the lander, they failed and the Mars Polar Lander was lost.
What is the mission of the Mars Society?
The Mars society, which was founded by Dr. Robert Zubrin, and its goals include educating the public on the benefits of exploring mars and creating a human settlement on it, so they have public outreaches to let people develop interest in Mars and support government funded Mars research that will allow them to get to the planet.
When, and in what crater, did the Perseverance Rover land on Mars?
The Perseverance Rover landed on Mars on February 18th, 2021 in the Jezero Crater. It was launched about 7 months earlier, on July 30th, 2020.
What is the origin of the names of Mars' two moons?
The names of Mars' two moons originate from the horses that pulled the chariot of the Greek war god Ares, Phobos(fobos) meaning fear, and Deimos(deemos) meaning panic.
What is the primary physical difference between Mars' northern and southern hemispheres?
The southern hemisphere has a lot of rough craters and highlands while the northern hemisphere is mostly flat and smooth.
What would be the two main purposes of the substance made by the MOXIE device on the Perseverance Rover if we were to inhabit Mars?
The substance the MOXIE device on the perseverance rover makes is oxygen. It is doing this so when humans do create settlements on Mars we will have oxygen for ourselves and for our plants and agriculture. (It creates oxygen by taking it the little of it in Mars' atmosphere)
What is the name and size of the tallest volcano in our solar system?
The tallest volcano in our solar system, has a diameter of 624 kilometers, a height of 25 kilometers, 6-kilometer high scarp, and is called Olympus Mons. (Base = Arizona, Height is 3x of Everest)
What are the two main goals of the current Insight Mission?
The two main goals of the current Insight Mission are to uncover how a rocky bottom forms and evolves into a planet by investigating the interior structure and composition of Mars, and determine the rate of Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts. (include that it's directed by NASA obvi)
What does the most widely-accepted Mars flag look like and what do the colors stand for?
This is the most widely-accepted Mars flag. The colors represent Mars's transition from a lifeless planet to one full of life. This design was made by Pascal Lee, a former NASA research engineer, in 1999. It was flown into space by astronaut John M. Grunsfield STS-103, a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, later that year. (It is from the epic "Red Mars", "Green Mars", "Blue Mars", which was a trilogy by Kim Stanely Robinson)
What is the approximate length of the longest canyon on Mars? On a map of the world, what does it compare to?
Valleris Marineris is around 4000 kilometers long, it runs around ¼ around Mars, and is around the distance from New York to California.
Who founded Virgin Galactic and what is this company's goal?
Virgin Galactic [headquartered in California, operating in Mexico] was founded by Richard Branson (probs Burt Rutan) in 2004 and his company's goal is to develop a spaceflight system made to give travelers "high-ticket" space tourism adventures (sub-orbital spaceflight baby)
Does Mars have seasons and why?
Yes it does, because of it has a similar axis tilt to Earth (Mars has a tilt of around 25º)
In what year does NASA believe the samples that Perseverance is collecting will return to Earth for more detailed study?
The Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples of materials on Mars, and NASA wants to return these samples to Earth to study in more detail with the technology they have here. Originally, this plan would involve one lander, launched in 2026, that would carry a rover to collect samples from Perseverance and a Mars Ascent Vehicle to launch the samples to an orbiter which would bring the samples back to Earth by 2031. However, NASA announced on Mar 28, 2022 that they would be launching two landers to Mars, which delays the mission to start at the earliest 2028 and the samples to be returned in 2033.
Which countries/agencies have sent spacecraft that have SUCCESSFULLY orbited or landed on Mars?
The United States(National Aeronautics and Space Administration) , Soviet Union(Soviet Space Program)/ROSCOSMOS, India(India Space Research Organization), and 22 European Countries are part of the European Space Agency(ESA).
What are the diameters of Mars' moons and how do they compare to Earth's moon?
The diameter of Mars moons are: Deimos - 7 miles - The moon is 270x bigger Phobos - about 14 miles - The moon is 155x bigger
What are three main details regarding the first American-made object to orbit the Earth?
The first American-made object to orbit Earth is Explorer 1. It was launched 4 months(January 31, 1958) after Sputnik was launched. It orbits the earth every 114 minutes. It was 80 inches long and 6 inches in diameter. And it orbited earth 58,000 times before burning up in the atmosphere.
What are three main details regarding the first man-made object to orbit Mars?
The first man-made object to orbit Mars was Mariner 9. It launched on May 30, 1971, and reached mars on November 14th of that same year. It narrowly earned that title, though. Soviet probes Mars 2 and Mars 3 entered orbit only a few weeks later. There were dust storms on Mars for the first few months of its orbit, but when they cleared up, Mariner 9 sent over 7000 clear images over the course of its mission, which ended in October of 1972. (Mariner 9 mapped 85% of mars, deemed lost in 2022)
What are three main details regarding the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars?
The first man-made object to reach the surface of mars was the Mars 2 lander. It landed on November 27th, 1971 and was operated by the soviet union; It had two television cameras with a 360 degree view of the surface, it could study atmospheric composition, temperature, the wind, and weighed 1,210 kilograms (2,670 pounds).
What is the size of the Ingenuity helicopter currently flying on Mars?
The ingenuity helicopter is a small helicopter that was attached to the Perseverance Rover. It is 121 cm × 49 cm (48 in × 19 in) and weighs 1.8 kg or 4 lbs.
