Journey to Mars1 Curiosity’s Journey to Mars

Our Agenda Today Mysterious canals The first spacecraft to visit What is life? Experiments on the MSL How do we ‘fly’ to Mars Landing profile What will we find? Quiz at the end… Journey to Mars2

Giovanni Schiaparelli

What Did Schiaparelli See? Journey to Mars4

5 First Images of Mars Mariner 4 Spacecraft 1965

Journey to Mars6 Mariner 9 —1971 Orbited Mars Imaged entire planet. A bit more earth-like erosion patterns

Journey to Mars7 What is Mars Like? Diameter 3,400 KM (4,200 miles) Atmospheric pressure.9 kPa (.2” hg) Atmospheric composition 95% CO 2 Is there Life?

What is Life? 1965 NASA report; “An analysis of the Extraterrestrial Life Detection Problem,” Established five characteristics shared by virtually all living things. –metabolism (assimilate food… eliminate waste) –growth –reproduction –movement –irritability Journey to Mars8

9 Viking 1 & — First Landing Temp min mean max − 87 °C −46 °C −5 C −122 °F −50 °F +23 °F

Viking’s Search for Life—1976 Journey to Mars10 Pyrolytic Release Experiment Gas Exchange Experiment Inconclusive!

Previous Spacecraft Journey to Mars11 Phoenix lbs Airbag-mediated Touchdown Pathfinder/Sojourner lbs Opportunity & Spirit lbs

Landing Sites Journey to Mars12

Mars Science Laboratory—Curiosity Launched November 2011 Will land August 2012 Journey to Mars13

Mars Science Laboratory Assess if Mars ever had an environment capable of supporting microbial life. Determine past habitability to give scientists a better understanding if life could have existed If it could have existed, an idea of where to look for it... –Where should we send a “sample and return mission”? Journey to Mars14

Equipment Cameras: MastCam | MAHLI | MARDI Spectrometers: APXS | ChemCam | CheMin | SAM Radiation Detectors: RAD | DAN Environmental Sensors: REMS Atmospheric Sensors: MEDLI Journey to Mars15

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Biological objectives: Determine nature and inventory of organic carbon compounds Inventory chemical building blocks of life (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur) Identify features that may represent effects of biological processes Journey to Mars17

Geological and geochemical objectives: Investigate chemical, isotopic, and mineralogical composition of Martian surface geological materials Interpret processes that have formed and modified rocks and soils Journey to Mars18

Planetary process objectives: Assess long-timescale (i.e., 4-billion-year) atmospheric evolution processes Determine present state, distribution, and cycling of water and carbon dioxide Journey to Mars19

Surface radiation objective: Characterize broad spectrum of surface radiation, including galactic cosmic radiation, solar proton events, and secondary neutrons Journey to Mars20

Cameras Mast Camera (Mastcam) –color video of Martian terrain. create panoramas of landscape around rover; view frost and weather phenomena; and support driving and sampling operations Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) –close-up views of minerals, textures, and structures in rocks and surface layer. to 12.5 micrometers, diameter of human hair. Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) –Following heatshield jettison produces 5-frames/sec high-res overhead views of landing local site environment. –help planners select optimum path of exploration provide larger geologic context surrounding landing site. determine spacecraft's precise location. Journey to Mars21

(MEDLI Integrated Sensor Plugs) Spacecraft generates extreme heat during entry into the Martian atmosphere, MISP will measure how hot it gets at different depths in the spacecraft's heat-shield material. Predicted about 3X higher than the Space Shuttle Journey to Mars22

MEADS (Mars Entry Atmospheric Data System) Measures atmospheric pressure on the heat shield at 7 locations during entry and descent through Mars' atmosphere. Journey to Mars23

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) Will detect elemental composition more quickly and work both day and night. Journey to Mars24

Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) From 7 meters, able to rapidly identify rocks, determine composition of soils and pebbles; measure chemical elements, including those hazardous to humans; recognize ice and minerals with water molecules in their crystal structures Journey to Mars25

Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction Instrument (CheMin) Identify and measure abundances of minerals on Mars. A rotating wheel in the center of the rectangular housing carries individual rock and soil samples for chemical analysis. Journey to Mars26

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Journey to Mars27 Three instruments take up half science payload. Search for compounds of carbon (i.e. methane) associated with life Explore ways they are generated and destroyed in the Martian ecosphere.

SAM Look for and measure abundances of other light elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, associated with life. Mass spectrometer will separate elements and compounds by mass for identification and measurement. Gas chromatograph will heat soil and rock samples until they vaporize, and will then separate resulting gases into various components for analysis. Laser spectrometer will measure abundance of various isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in atmospheric gases such as methane, water vapor, and CO2. Journey to Mars28

Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) Looks skyward to measure galactic cosmic rays and solar particles that pass through the Martian atmosphere. Allow scientists to calculate effect radiation has on humans exposed on the surface of Mars. Assess hazard presented by radiation to potential microbial life, past and present, Journey to Mars29

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) Water (liquid or frozen) absorbs neutrons more than other substances. DAN uses this trait to search for subsurface ice on Mars. Russian Federal Space Agency Journey to Mars30

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) (Russia) Can detect water content as low as 1/10 of 1 % Focus neutron beam 2 meters below surface before being absorbed by hydrogen atoms in subsurface ice. Near the poles, scientists estimate water ice makes up 30 percent to 50 percent of shallow subsurface deposits. If the beam encounters a layer of water ice, DAN will detect a relatively greater number of slower neutrons If there are no ice layers or water-logged minerals beneath the surface, DAN will detect a relatively greater amount of faster neutrons. Journey to Mars31

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS-Spain) Provide daily reports on atmospheric pressure, humidity, ultraviolet radiation, wind speed and direction, air temperature, and ground temperature Journey to Mars32

How do we get the MSL to Mars? Journey to Mars33

Atlas V Launch Vehicle 541 Journey to Mars lbs lands on Mars

Journey to Mars35 Sun Earth Earth’s Rotation Earth Orbit Mars Orbit Ma rs Martian Orbit Compared to Earth 93 million miles 365 Day Period 66,000 mph 142 million miles 687 Day Period 53,000 mph

Journey to Mars36 Earth’s Rotation Mars Orbit Ma rs Hohmann Transfer Orbit to Mars Mars at Conjunction Mars at Opposition Sun Earth Earth Orbit Ma rs Typical transit time 9 months

Journey to Mars37 Sun Earth Earth’s Rotation Earth Orbit Mars Orbit Mars Relative position at time of Curiosity launch Path of Spacecraft Hohmann Transfer Orbit to to Mars

Journey to Mars38Journey to Mars38 Sun Earth Orbit Mars Orbit Mars Earth Relative position at time of Curiosity Arrival at Mars Path of Spacecraft Hohmann Transfer Orbit to to Mars

Journey to Mars39 Where is the MSL-Curiosity now?

Gale Crater Journey to Mars40

Journey to Mars41 Landing on Mars— A Complex procedure

MSL-Curiosity Payload Configuration Journey to Mars42

Journey to Mars43 Atmospheric Entry (Phase I)

Journey to Mars44 Parachute (phase II)

Journey to Mars45 Powered Descent (Phase III)

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Journey to Mars47 Exploring Mars… what will we find?

Some Questions 1.Why were the first photos of Mars taken from Mariner 4 in 1965 ‘disappointing’? 2.What are the five attributes of life as defined by NASA? 3.Is Curiosity looking for ‘life’? 4.What are the three distinct segments of the landing phase? Journey to Mars48

Journey to Mars49 Our Agenda Today Mysterious canals The first spacecraft to visit What is life? Experiments on the MSL How do we ‘fly’ to Mars Landing profile What will we find? Journey to Mars49

50 The unexpected?

Journey to Mars51 I’m your new First Sergeant! I’ll tuck you in tonight…

…to be continued… Journey to Mars52

Journey to Mars53 What will it take for Man to travel to Mars? Propulsion Spacecraft Electrical Power Shielding from radiation Life support for crew of four Effect of weightlessness Mars Landing Habitation Exploration Return Reentry to Earth’s Atmosphere

Journey to Mars54Journey to Mars54 Sun Earth Earth’s Rotation Earth Orbit Mars Orbit Mars Earth Relative position at time of Curiosity launch Relative position at time of Curiosity Arrival at Mars Path of Spacecraft Hohmann Transfer Orbit to to Mars

Journey to Mars55 Temperature min mean max − 87 °C −46 °C −5 °C −122 °F −50 °F +23 °F

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