ASTR 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 36: Freerunning, Terraforming, Sedimentary Rock
5 Sep 2016
School
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Chapter 11. 2: continuing and future explorations of mars. Meteor from mars found in antarctic in 1984. Many meteorites have been found over the years and can be identified by their particular chemical composition. Reach us when mars is struck by an asteroid in the far distant past and pieces of mars are chipped off, then orbit around solar system and occasionally land on earth. One found in 1984, when cut open, revealed small features that looked very much like fossilized microbe life forms. Current understanding: probably chemical or mineralogical deposits, rather than lifeforms. Vikings were static, but some later landers were robotic, so could travel around the surface to a limited extent (a few km) Sojourner (1997) and mars explorer rover (2004): have solar panels on top to provide power. Most successful is curiosity rover that landed in 2012. Comes into atmosphere being slowed, parachute opens, then dangling piece lowers the apparatus itself to the surface.
