Destination Mars (37 page)

by Mars Global Surveyor,
110
,
112
,
112
,
118
,
153

by Mars Odyssey,
112
,
159
,
160

by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter using HD,
195
–
207
,
206
,
255

by Pathfinder and Sojourner,
127
,
128
,
131
–
32
,
140

taken by the MER rovers,
178
,
184
–
85
,
186

by the Viking mission

taken by landers,
21
–
24
,
22
,
89
–
90

taken by orbiters,
20
,
21
,
25
,
85
,
110
,
125

See also
mapping of Mars;
photo section

photosynthesis on Mars, search for,
88
–
89

phyllosilicates,
202

Pioneer program,
152
,
243
,
267

“Planetary Patrol,”
85

planetary quarantine of Mars,
21
,
297n2

Planum Australe (Southern Plain) (southern polar cap),
33
–
35

Planum Boreum (Northern Plain) (northern polar cap),
33

Plaut, Jeffrey,
165
–
69

plutonium
238
,
310
–
11n1

polar caps of Mars,
145

denser air found over,
199
–
200

need for further study of,
269
–
70

northern polar cap,
33
,
202
.
See also
photo section

Phoenix lander visiting polar regions,
230
,
248
,
250

southern polar ice cap,
33
–
35

See also
northern hemisphere of Mars; southern hemisphere of Mars

polar orbit,
110
,
159

See also
photo section

Pot of Gold (rock examined by Spirit),
213
–
14

Power PC chips
^®
,
257

Project Skylab,
291
Ptolemy,
39

Pyroeis (Greek name for planet Mars),
38

Pyrolitic-Release experiment (Viking landers),
88
–
89
,
95
,
101

quarantine.
See
planetary quarantine of Mars

RAD.
See
Radiation Assessment Detector

radar,
255

laser-powered radar,
234

radar altimeter,
124
,
144
,
145
–
46

subsurface radar,
197

use of to find landing sites for Viking,
19
–
20
,
86
,
87

Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD),
256
–
57

radiation in Martian orbital path,
158
,
164

Radioisotope Thermal Generators (RTGs),
121
,
310
–
11n1

radiometric analyses of Mars,
62

radio waves, measuring Mars's atmospheric effect on,
53

Ranger program,
73

RAT.
See
Rock Abrasion Tool

Rawlings, Pat.
See
photo section

reaction wheels,
198

red color of Mars,
29
,
34
,
39
,
40

redundancy in planning,
159
,
307n1
(
chap. 18
)

regolith.
See
soil on Mars

REMS.
See
Rover Environmental Monitoring Station

Remus and Romulus (Mars's two sons),
38

retrograde motion,
39
,
40
,
299n2

Rhea-Silvia (Roman goddess mother of Mars),
38

robotic arm.
See
sampler arms

Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT),
173
,
179
,
180
,
182
,
213
,
258

“rocker-bogie” system, Sojourner's used by MER,
308n1
(
chap. 20
)

Rock Garden (area to be explored by Sojourner),
130

rocks on Mars,
30
,
33
,
131

cooling rates of rocks,
162

drilling rocks as part of Mars Science Laboratory project,
263
–
64
,
285

finding crystals,
182

found by Opportunity,
184
,
185
,
215
–
17

found by Sojourner,
121
,
127
–
31

found by Spirit,
179
–
82
,
213
–
14
,
225

naming of,
237
–
38

Romulus and Remus (Mars's two sons),
38

rotational period of Mars,
27
,
40

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS),
257

rovers

creating an astrobiology-laboratory rover,
269

See also
10-K rover at FMARS; Curiosity (rover); Opportunity (rover); Pathfinder mission; Sojourner (rover); Spirit (rover)

RTGs.
See
Radioisotope Thermal Generators

Russian Federation,
306n1

and the ExoMars probe,
146

and the Mars Express mission,
143
–
46

and the Mars Science Laboratory project,
256

potential missions 2021–2030,
294

and Soyuz capsule,
293

See also
Soviet Union's space programs

Sagan, Carl,
189
,
190

Dr. Carl Sagan Memorial Station,
124

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM),
256
,
263

sampler arms,
85
,
88
,
92
,
93
,
144
,
153
,
167
–
68
,
172
,
180
,
232
,
239
,
258
,
263
,
302n3

problems with,
214
,
223
,
224
,
235
,
239
–
40
,
249
–
50

sand dunes on Mars,
218
,
223

See also
photo section

Saturn (planet),
33
,
152
,
267

data return from the Cassini probe,
309n1
(
chap. 22
)

Titan (a moon of Saturn),
33
,
243
–
44

Saturn V (rocket),
291
,
292

Saunders, Steve,
166

scanning calorimetry,
310n3

Schiaparelli, Giovanni,
41
,
43
–
45
,
44

See also
photo section

Science
(journal),
216

“Scout missions” (low-cost missions),
249
,
311
–
12n2

MAVEN scheduled for possible launch in 2012,
267
–
68

Phoenix lander as an example,
230
.
See also
Phoenix lander

seasons.
See
weather on Mars

sedimentation exploration,
174
,
182

“bathtub ring” in Victoria Crater,
222

buried in lava,
191

finding “cross-lamination,”
185

using CTX camera to study water-deposited sediments,
197

See also
soil on Mars

seismometer,
91
–
92

“Send Your Name to Mars” outreach program,
175

Shackleton, Ernest,
214
,
295

Shallow Subsurface Radar (SHARAD),
197

Shark (rock found by Sojourner),
129

Shenzhou/Soyuz (Chinese mission),
293

shock sensor causing MPL lander crash,
230

Sinus Meridiani (Meridian Bay),
33

size of Mars,
41

Skycrane (system to land MSL),
254

Sleepy Hollow (basin near landing site of Spirit),
174

SLS.
See
Space Launch System

Smith, Peter,
243
–
51
,
277

Soderblom, Laurence,
79
–
81

soil on Mars,
33
–
34

able to support some earthly crops,
238
–
39

equipment for testing.
See
Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer; Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe;
Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer

examined at microscopic levels,
233

and the Mars Odyssey program,
162

measuring soil movement,
111

and the MRO,
205

need for deep-soil drilling,
269
–
70

oxidants in,
95
–
96

and Phoenix,
235
–
37
.
See also
photo section

sampling procedures,
235
–
38

search for life-forms in,
85
,
88
–
89
,
93
–
95

and Sojourner,
127
,
130

and Spirit,
179

water ice in soil.
See
permafrost

See also
perchlorate; sedimentation exploration

Sojourner (rover),
127
–
32
,
134
,
176
,
232
–
33
,
245
,
253
,
256

getting stuck in sand,
130

length of successful operations,
172

providing knowledge for building Spirit and Opportunity,
171
,
173
,
174

“rocker-bogie” system,
175
,
308n1
(
chap. 20
)

See also
Pathfinder mission;
photo section

sol (a Martian day), length of,
27
,
40
,
124
,
238

solar flares,
164
,
168
,
196

solar panels,
222
,
254
,
310
–
11n1

and the Mars Global Surveyor

broken strut,
108
,
109
,
117
–
18

solar panel failing after ten years,
114

Phoenix lander's panels cracking from the cold,
241

used on MER,
172

See also
photo section

solar radiation on Mars,
164
,
297n2

solar wind,
18
,
55

southern hemisphere of Mars,
32
,
42
,
62
,
64
,
69
,
201
,
219

See also
polar caps of Mars

Soviet Union's space programs,
293

attempts to probe Mars,
21
,
52
,
57
,
76
,
79
,
86
,
107
,
143
,
147
,
297n1
,
306nn1–2
,
300n1
(
chap. 4
),
301n1
(
chap. 10
)

timeline of attempts,
148
–
50

attempts to probe Venus,
57
,
107
,
143
,
297n1
,
306n1
,
300n1
(
chap. 4
)

Sputnik program,
57
,
148

See also
Russian Federation

Soyuz capsule (Russian),
293

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX),
292

Space Launch System (SLS),
292
,
293

space shuttles,
107
,
291

Challenger
,
302n1
(
chap. 12
)

Columbia
,
174
,
192

discontinuing program,
292
,
295

Space Station,
311
–
12n2

SpaceX.
See
Space Exploration Technologies

Spear, Tony,
134
–
35

spectroscopic analyses of Mars,
45
,
62
,
64

Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS),
121
,
131
,
172

Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometers for Mars (CRISM),
196

Fourier Spectrometer,
144

gamma-ray spectrometer,
158
,
162
,
247

Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer experiment (Viking landers),
88

laser spectrometer,
258

mass spectrometer,
19

Mössbauer spectrometer,
173
,
262

OMEGA spectrometer,
144

SPICAM spectrometer,
144

Thermal Emission Spectrometer,
172

thermal infrared spectrometer,
262

spherules.
See
“blueberries” SPICAM spectrometer,
144

Spinrad, Hyron,
101
,
102

Spirit (rover),
164
,
171
–
87
,
213
–
28
,
262
,
264