Destination Mars (36 page)

comparing photos taken by Mars Odyssey,
207

photographing Phoenix lander,
205
,
206
,
234

and Richard Zurek,
209
–
12

size of data return from,
195
,
309n1
(
chap. 22
)

See also
photo section

Mars sample-return mission,
268
–
69

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project,
11
,
96
,
133
,
169
,
200
,
212
,
253
–
59
,
277
,
285
,
310
–
11n1

Curiosity compared to other rovers,
253
–
54

and Joy Crisp,
261
–
65

planned landing for,
254
–
55

using RTGs,
310
–
11n1

See also
Curiosity (rover);
photo section

Mars Society, the,
271
,
272
,
285
–
88

See also
Flashline Research Station

Mars Surveyor Lander program (canceled),
166
,
229
,
247

Mars Surveyor Operations Project (MSOP),
115
–
16
,
151
–
52

Martian Chronicles, The
(Bradbury),
49
–
50

mascons (mass concentrations),
29
,
198
,
298n2

mass of Mars,
28
,
66

mass spectrometer,
19

Mastcam (camera mounted to mast of rover),
255

MAVEN (Scout-class program),
267
–
68

McKay, Chris,
247
,
273
–
77
,
283
–
85
,
286

MCO.
See
Mars Climate Orbiter

MCS.
See
Mars Climate Sounder

MECA.
See
Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer

MEDLI.
See
MSL Entry Descent and Landing

Instrumentation

meltwater,
34
,
103

MER.
See
Mars Exploration Rovers mission

Mercury (planet),
111

Mariner 10 mission to,
67
,
78
,
267
.
See also
photo section

as a “terrestrial” planet,
298n3

Mercury program,
9
–
10

Mercury Theater of the Air
(radio program),
49

Meridiani Planum (intended landing site for Opportunity),
181
,
183
,
184
,
192
,
222
,
227

See also
photo section

meteor, first found on another planet,
217

meteorology on Mars.
See
weather on Mars

meteors on Earth originating from Mars,
36

methane on Mars,
145
,
146
,
233
,
311n1
(
chap. 29
)

MGS.
See
Mars Global Surveyor program

microbes on Mars,
35
–
36
,
55
,
168
,
248

attempts to keep Earth microbes off of Mars,
21
,
297n2

Norman Horowitz's efforts to find,
99
–
105

and perchlorate,
250
,
278

testing techniques on Earth for finding on Mars,
104
,
275
,
278
–
79

Viking program's search for,
83
–
97

experiments planned,
84
,
88
–
89
,
93
,
95
,
100
–
101

See also
life on Mars;
photo section

Microscopic Imager,
172

Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA),
233

Mid-Atlantic Ridge (on Earth),
30

Middle Ages characterization of Mars's influence on man,
38
–
39

Mini Cooper® car,
254

mission failures.
See
Great Galactic Ghoul and mission failures

MO.
See
Mars Observer program

moons of Mars,
38
,
41
,
43
,
184
,
294

photos of by Mariner 9,
77

Moses Lake, Washington,
282

Mössbauer spectrometer,
173
,
262

Motorola Power PC
^®
chip,
159
,
196

Mount Wilson Observatory data that de-Lowellized beliefs about Mars,
101
–
103

MPCV.
See
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

MPL.
See
Mars Polar Lander

MRO.
See
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter program

MSL.
See
Mars Science Laboratory project

MSL Entry Descent and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI),
257

MSOP.
See
Mars Surveyo Operations Project

Muirhead, Brian,
134

Munch, Guido,
101
,
102

Murray, Bruce,
58
,
67
–
71
,
79

Musk, Elon,
292

Mutch, Thomas,
96

Naica Mountain.
See
Crystal Cave

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Ames Research Center,
247
,
271
,
273
,
283

approving instruments to study Mars based on terrestrial environment,
103

cooperative efforts of,
267
–
70
,
309
–
10n1
.
See also
ExoMars probe; Mars Express mission; Mars Society, the; Phoenix lander

and the Deep Space Network,
70

finances,
124
,
136
–
37
,
139
,
152
,
155
,
157
,
231

budget cuts causing withdrawal from ExoMars mission,
306n4

budget in the 1960s,
73

cost of Pathfinder and Sojourner,
136

costs for large missions compared to cost of a Big Mac
^®
,
121

difficult budget environment,
287
–
88

“faster, better, cheaper” as an approach for missions,
124
,
136
–
37
,
139
,
152
,
155
,
157
,
231

MSL as an expensive undertaking,
258
–
59

future of,
287
–
88
,
293

a crewed mission to Mars,
288
,
291
,
294

fictional potential future,
289
–
90

potential future missions,
292
–
94

Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a part of NASA,
154
,
267
.

See also
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

program of quarantine for Mars,
21
,
297n2

and promoting missions,
245

running out of fuel for RTGs,
310
–
11n1

tendency to use redundancy (doing projects in pairs),
159
,
307n1
(
chap. 18
)

See also
longevity of Mars missions;
names of specific missions, i.e., Apollo program, Mariner program, Voyager program etc.
; unmanned explorations sent to Mars

National Geographic
(magazine),
9

Navarro-Gozález, Rafael,
275

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission,
190

Near-Earth Object (NEO) mission,
293
–
94

NEO.
See
Near-Earth Object mission

Neptune (planet),
267

Nergal (Babylonian name for Mars),
37
,
38

Neugebauer, Gerry,
58

Nix Olympica.
See
photo section

Noachian Period,
32

Noctis Labyrinthus,
204

See also
photo section

northern hemisphere of Mars,
31
,
32
,
76
,
163
,
201
,
206
–
207

See also
polar caps of Mars

Nozomi (Planet-B) program (Japan),
150

occultation experiment,
53

oceans on Mars,
29
,
41
,
298
–
99n4

olivine, presence of on Mars,
161
–
62
,
191

Olympus Mons,
30
,
31

See also
photo section

OMEGA spectrometer,
144

Open University (United Kingdom),
144

Ophir Chasma.
See
photo section

Opportunity (rover),
169
,
171
–
87
,
205
,
213
–
28
,
226
,
262
,
264

compared to MSL rover,
253

finding own heat shield,
217
,
218

getting stuck in sand,
218
,
220

mechanical problems,
224

still operational in 2012,
267

See also
Mars Exploration Rovers mission;
photo section

Opportunity Ledge (searched by Opportunity),
182

orbiting Mars

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter program,
195
–
207

MGS almost heading for impact with Mars,
118
–
20

polar orbits,
110
,
159
.
See also
photo section

radiation in Martian orbital path,
158
,
164

orbit of Mars,
39
–
41

elliptical shape of,
157

measuring radiation in Martian orbital path,
158
,
164

retrograde motion,
39
,
40
,
299n2

organics, search for (precursors to life),
233
,
248
–
49

See also
life on Mars

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV),
270
,
292
–
94

outflow channels,
35

oxidation process on Mars,
29
,
34
,
39
,
51
,
297n2

oxygen on Mars,
29
,
45

panspermia
theory,
299n5

Pathfinder mission,
202
,
244
,
261
,
262
,
307n1
(
chap. 18
)

compared to Mars Odyssey mission,
160
,
166

compared to MER,
177

compared to Phoenix lander,
230
–
32
,
234

JPL's robotics section report on,
304
–
305n1

landing of,
124

MER landing patterned after,
172

using different technique than Viking,
124
–
25
,
135

outliving its primary mission,
131

providing knowledge for building MER rovers,
171
,
173
,
174

reasons for success of,
137
–
39

and Robert Manning,
133
–
41

See also
Sojourner (rover)

Pavonis Mons (shield volcano),
30

Pearson's Magazine
,
48

perchlorate,
95
–
96
,
240
,
273
,
275
–
76
,
278
,
284
,
290

permafrost

on Earth,
248
,
277
,
285

on Mars,
163
,
235
,
248
,
285
.
See also
weather on Mars

Phobos (fear) (one of Martian moons),
38
,
43
,
77
,
294

Phobos-Grunt mission,
297n1

Phobos Mission (possible future mission),
294

Phobos program (Soviet Union),
149

Phoenix lander,
167
–
68
,
229
–
41
,
256
,
264
,
275
,
277

ceasing operation,
241

mechanical and communication problems,
235
–
36
,
238
,
239
–
40
,
249

MRO photograph of lander,
205
,
206
,
235

and Peter Smith,
243
–
51

See also
Sojourner (rover)

photographing Mars,
85
–
87
,
90
,
128
,
144

attempts to de-Lowellize beliefs about Mars,
101
–
103

infrared photo taken at Mount Wilson,
101

by Mariner programs,
20
,
52
–
54
,
57
–
59
,
61
,
65
,
70
–
71
,
77
,
81
,
104
,
126