Exploration Missions on Mars - Essay Example

Exploration Missions on Mars Introduction The discovery of Mars and the belief by human beings that it was a habitable planet with a potential of having civilizations have been held for centuries, especially after the discovery of the telescope. It is for this reason that with technological development in the twentieth century, missions designed for the exploration of Mars have been launched in a bid to increase knowledge concerning this enigmatic planet. Starting from the 1960s with the missions from the Soviet Union and the United States, data about Mars has increased to such an extent that scientists in this age have more knowledge than at any other point in human history. In the contemporary world, there have been numerous missions and these have included the Mars Odyssey, the Mars Express, the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters and the Mars Science Laboratories. They have been developed to ensure that further knowledge of the planet is increased and this to such an extent that there is contemplation concerning sending a manned mission to Mars. This report seeks to show the extent to which the recent missions to Mars, especially within the twenty first century, have increased human knowledge concerning this planet and whether they have been successes. 2. Mars Odyssey Mission The Mars Odyssey mission is one of the most important in the twenty first century because it was the first successful mission to be launched in the new millennium. The orbiter involved in this mission reached the orbit of Mars in 2001 where it was able, through its gamma ray spectrometer, to detect a significant amount of hydrogen on the Martian surface, which allowed scientists to speculate that there, must be large amounts of water on the planet in the form of ice (Boynton et al, 2004,). Furthermore, its Phoenix lander was instrumental in confirming that Mars indeed had water and that this would allow for the conditions necessary to sustain life. It is essential to note that it was through this mission that scientists were able to determine were able to confirm the presence of water on the planet in the form of ice and it allowed for there to develop speculation concerning whether the ice ever thawed. Moreover, the planet was found to have contained flowing water in the past and that this water must have cooled and turned into ice because of the extremely low temperatures on Mars (Christensen, et al. 2004). This mission allowed for regular information concerning the surface of Mars, especially its water content, to be passed regularly to earth and this helped in the continued gathering of knowledge concerning the planet’s atmosphere as well as the conditions which are likely to meet those astronauts who might possibly go on a manned mission. Through the data sent back during this mission, scientist have been struggling to determine whether the presence of water on the planet, as well as other chemicals and elements such as carbon, which are essential for the creation of life, might possibly have created conditions to bring life on Mars. This mission is still ongoing and it is expected to yield more data and other results in future as its exploration of the planet’s surface to find thawed liquid water continues. 3. The Mars Express The Mars Express mission, which was launched by the European Space Agency, landed on the planet in 2003 and its mission is still ongoing (Formisano et al. 2004). It has also been a mine of data as despite the fact that as soon as it landed, it suffered a setback as a result of the Beagle 2 lander failing to send back data concerning its successful landing. As a result, this lander was declared lost after a year and it came to be discovered years later in 2015 by the HiRise camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Therefore, while the Beagle 2 had managed to land safely, it had failed to deploy its solar panels and antenna and this had prevented it from not only gaining power, but also to send communication back to earth concerning its having touched down safely. However, despite Beagle’s failure, there was hope through the Mars Express orbiter, which in 2004 sent back information that it had detected methane on the planet’s atmosphere. Furthermore, it is through the orbiter that it was announced that aurorae has been discovered on Mars and this in addition to a number of hydrated sulphates which are responsible for rock formation (Bibring et al. 2006). This mission is crucial because it has aided in the development of further information concerning the surface of Mars and it has ensured that there is currently more information concerning the geology of the planet than ever before. His mission has also enabled an unprecedented level of cooperation between NASA and the ESA in the collection of data concerning the geology of the planet and these include sending back data concerning the tectonic features found on Mars. As a result of the many successes that it has had, the Mars Express mission is one of the most heavily relied on to provide data concerning not only Mars, but also its moons, specifically Phobos, over which it has conducted several flybys. Figure 1. Illustration of components of the Mars Express Mission (Adapted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/03/race_to_mars/mission_guide/html/mars_express.stm) 4. Mars Exploration Rovers The Mars Exploration Rovers that were commissioned for the exploration of Mars by NASA is a mission that involved two robotic rovers, which were landed on the surface of the planet. These rovers, known as Spirit and Opportunity, have been considered a great success because they have both exceeded their intended purpose as well as being able to provide conclusive evidence that there was indeed liquid water on Mars at some point in the past (Rieder et al, 2003). This is an extremely great discover because it allows for the development of data concerning the manner through which this water may have disappeared from the surface and instead come to be retained as ice. Moreover, these rovers, being able to provide clear geographical data on the places that they landed showed that water existed for a long time on the planet and this has also led to speculation concerning whether there is indeed life on the planet. While the missions of these rovers were to have ended much earlier, their performance exceeded expectations because of the regular dust storms or dust devils that plague the Martian surface from time to time. These allowed for the cleaning of their solar panels, thus enabling them to ensure that their power was renewed for the collection of more data. Both of these rovers have been instrumental in sending back data concerning the geology and geological features on the planet back to earth. An analysis has shown that there are incredible deposits of minerals olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, and magnetite as well as features that resemble volcanic basalt on the surface, meaning that some of the features on the planet are essentially similar to those on earth (Bertelsen, 2004). The findings made concerning these geographic features have greatly enhanced scientific knowledge concerning the planet and it is only a matter of time before it is possible for as much knowledge of Mars to be known to scientists as that of earth. Figure 2. Picture showing the various basic components of a Mars Exploration Rover (Adapted from http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/spacecraft_surface_rover.html) 5. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is another mission that has been crucial in the development of scientific knowledge concerning Mars and this is mainly because it has allowed for the mapping of the Martian terrain (Malin et al. 2007). Launched by NASA, its intended mission was to orbit the planet for some two years in a bid to map the terrain of Mars so that it could spot those places where future landings could be made. Therefore, in order to achieve this objective, it was essential that it be equipped with more advanced technology so that it could not only serve as a source of landing data for the planet, but also as a relay station for future missions on the planet. This mission has succeeded in measuring the water ice in the polar ice on Mars and this has allowed for a deduction of the possible amount of water contained in these regions. Furthermore, this mission has allowed for the discovery that water exists below the surface of the northernmost and southernmost parts of the planet, specifically in the lower latitudes and this has given hope to scientists that the planet could be habitable for human beings. In additions, it has helped in the discovery of large chloride deposits on the planet and this has led to the speculation that lakes may have been on a large part of the planet’s surface and that the chloride formed because of the evaporation of water with large mineral deposits. Scientists believe that the areas with large chloride deposits may have created an environment conducive for life and that they are likely to have preserved traces of ancient life on the planet. This mission has also been able to capture scenes of avalanches as they happen on the poles of the planet and this has added much more information, and speculation, concerning the possibility of water melting from the poles. 6. The Mars Science Laboratory Mission The Mars Science Laboratory mission was launched in 2011 and it managed to land the Curiosity rover on the Martian surface in the following year. This rover is much larger than the Mars Exploration Rovers and it is more technologically advanced to such an extent that it has the capability of detecting the various features of the surface it explores from as far as seven meters away (Grotzinger, 2014). The advanced nature of Curiosity has made it possible for its sending back more defined pictures of the Martian surface as well as its geographical features such as Mount Sharp. These pictures have allowed for a better understanding of the Martian surface as well as some of its most prominent geographical features, thus enabling scientists to develop the data that they need for future missions. The laser chemical sampler that has been put onboard the rover is the feature that allows it so detect the chemical composition of rocks from a distance and this ensures that it does not have to take samples from rocks in order to verify them. This is especially the case with the exploration of features, which are not easily accessible because its more advanced features allow it to gain accurate information from a distance. It is essential to note that as a result of its being more advanced that the Mars Exploration Rovers, it has the ability of not only sending back more data. However, the accuracy of this data will also be guaranteed, thus allowing for the development of a better pool of knowledge that can be used for future missions (Bajracharya, Maimone & Helmick, 2008). Moreover, these features will allow for Curiosity to continue its mission for a much longer period because it has been designed in a manner that ensures that the weaknesses found on Spirit and Opportunity are overcome and that it is able to function under diverse conditions. 7. Mars Orbiter Mission The most recent mission of exploration is the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was launched in 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organization, and it was the first maiden attempt to orbit Mars to succeed (Jayaraman, 2013). This mission was launched in a bid to display the technological advancement of India, which as an emerging power has been able to develop homegrown technology that is capable of achieving the same objective as more advanced space agencies. The cost for this mission was quite low compared to other Mars missions and this can be ascribed to the manner in which the project was conducted and handled throughout its duration. The willingness of the scientific staff to work 18 – 20 hour days may have ensured that the mission was underway at a faster period, allowing lower costs of development. The local production of all parts needed for the orbiter also made it possible to keep costs low and as a result, it became possible for the development of a mission that was not only inexpensive, but also helped in its swift and successful launch. One of the main objectives of this mission was to develop India’s capability for deep space communication as well as mission planning and navigation, which made it possible for further missions to be sent out. Moreover, it was essential for the mission to ensure that it incorporated autonomous features into the orbiter so that it could be better able to handle contingency situations without any outside help. Another objective was to make an exploration of the features of Mars, specifically its atmosphere and its mineralogy, although this was essentially a secondary objective, because it was a maiden mission designed as a basis for future operations rather than as a mission for exploration. 8. Conclusion The discussion above has sought to show the extent to which the recent missions to Mars, especially within the twenty first century, have increased human knowledge concerning this planet and whether they have been successes. It has attempted to show that the Mars Odyssey mission is one of the most important in the twenty first century because it was the first successful mission to be launched in the new millennium. Moreover, another important project was the Mars Express mission, which was launched by the European Space Agency landed on the planet in 2003 and its mission is still ongoing. Furthermore, the discussion has explored the Mars Exploration Rovers that was commissioned for the exploration of Mars by NASA is a mission that involved two robotic rovers, which were landed on the surface of the planet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is another mission that has been discussed as a result of its being crucial in the development of scientific knowledge concerning Mars and this is mainly because it has allowed for the mapping of the Martian terrain. In addition, another project that has been reviewed is the Mars Science Laboratory mission that was launched in 2011 and it managed to land the Curiosity rover on the Martian surface in the following year. Finally, the most recent mission of exploration under discussion is the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was launched in 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organization, and it was the first maiden attempt to orbit Mars to succeed. 7. References Bajracharya, M., Maimone, M.W. and Helmick, D. (2008) Autonomy for Mars rovers: past, present, and future. Computer, 41(12): 45. Bertelsen, P. (2004) Magnetic Properties on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit at Gusev Crater. Science, 305: 827-829. Bibring, J.P., Langevin, Y., Mustard, J.F., Poulet, F., Arvidson, R., Gendrin, A., Gondet, B., Mangold, N., Pinet, P. and Forget F. (2006) Global mineralogical and aqueous mars history derived from OMEGA/Mars express data. Science, 312 (5772): 400–404. Boynton, W.V. 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