Exploring+Mars



Named after the ancient Roman God of War, Mars has been at the burning core of mankind's speculation and fear about life in the Universe since the first telescope powerful enough to discern its polar ice caps was pointed at it in the night sky. On Independence Day, 1997, the genius of American science, engineering and technology established an operational outpost on Mars' ancient, rocky Ares Vallis flood plain, that not only marked the beginning of a new administrative and fiscal approach to planetary study and the search for life on Mars and beyond, but became the pathfinder for an increasingly ambitious string of automated //invaders// for the next decade.

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is more like Earth than any other body in our solar system. It has mountains and valleys, polar ice caps, and dry riverbeds. It has seasons, an atmosphere with clouds, winds and dust storms, and a solid rocky surface. Its days and seasons are similar. Compared to all the other known planets besides our own, Mars also has a moderate climate -- summertime temperatures at the Martian equator during the daytime are comparable to those of winter in Antarctica! For these reasons, Mars is one of the few places in the solar system that humans can think realistically about exploring on foot.

The differences between Mars and Earth, however, are many. Mars is only half as large as our planet. Its thin atmosphere is comprised of about 95 percent carbon dioxide. The sunlight that reaches Mars is only about half as intense as that on this planet. Its two moons, Phobos and Deimos, are tiny little rocks. Its many volcanoes seem extinct, and its riverbeds dry. Is Mars a dead world, with an interesting past, but a dull future? Or does Mars have more surprises in store for us?

Mars is currently being explored by a fleet of spacecraft, Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.