Mars Challenges
The amount of time Astronauts traveling to Mars would be away from Earth, just for traveling.
What is 1-2 years total (6-9 months travel each way)
The name of a rover that landed on Mars in 2012?
What is the Curiosity rover?
The distance from the Earth to Mars vs. from Earth to the moon.
What is about 140 million miles to Mars vs. 240, 000 miles to the Moon?
This is why Mars is sometimes called the 'Red Planet'.
What is Iron oxide (rust) on its surface?
The first successful spacecraft to land on Mars.
What is Viking 1 (landed in 1976)?
This is a reason astronauts would need special equipment to breathe on Mars?
What is no breathable oxygen on Mars.
The ancient type of life that The Perseverance rover (2021) is searching for.
What is Microbial life (or ancient microbes)?
The time it takes to travel from Earth to the moon, vs. Earth to Mars.
What is 6-9 months to Mars vs. 3 days to the Moon?
This is the the gravity on Mars compared to Earth's gravity.
What is 38% of Earth's gravity (much weaker).
Think of at least two things the Viking missions did on Mars.
What is sending back photos, analyzing soil, and conducting experiments?
The length of time it takes for a radio message from astronauts on Mars to reach Earth?
What is 20 - 22 minutes each way (one way)
This is an important discovery the Spirit and Opportunity rovers made about Mars in 2004?
What is Evidence of past liquid water on Mars?
This makes landing on Mars more difficult than landing on the Moon.
What is a thin atmosphere, making landing tricky? (The Moon has no atmosphere at all).
This evidence suggests that Mars once had better conditions for life.
What is evidence of past liquid water, a thicker atmosphere, or warmer temperatures?
This is the major discovery the Curiosity rover made about Mars.
What is found evidence that Mars once had conditions suitable for life?
This is the extreme cold temperature astronauts Can experience on Mars.
What is any temperature from -80°F (-60°C) at night to -180°F.
This rover includes a special helicopter companion to help explore Mars?
What is the Perseverance rover (with the Ingenuity helicopter)?
This is the length of typical Mars missions compared to Moon missions.
What is years for Mars missions vs. days or weeks for Moon missions?
This is where on Mars scientists can find ice.
What are the Mars' poles (north and south poles)?
These Perseverance is collecting these important samples to send back to Earth.
What are rock samples that could contain evidence of ancient microbial life?