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Evolution Of Mars Research Paper

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Mars has been an enigma in the human mind for centuries. Civilizations studied the planet as it traversed the sky, believing it to be an ethereal power. Even today, the planet fascinates both the scientific and public viewpoint. Many movies and books are set on Mars, including H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds and Andy Weir’s The Martian. Both novels increase public interest in the celestial body by “humanizing” the planet with the presence of intelligent lifeforms and introducing the need for familiarity beyond Earth. The need for familiarity has led governmental space agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency, to launch missions to Mars. Internationally, forty-three missions have studied …show more content…

Mariner 3 and 4 were part of the Mariner missions aiming to study the inner solar system and were the first spacecrafts aimed towards Mars (“Mariner 3 and 4”). The exploration of the inner solar system was a major scientific achievement. Launched in November 1964, these two satellites observed the planet during a flyby, in which a spacecraft flies past an object at a close distance and gathers scientific data, and collected close-up photos (“Mariner 3 and 4”; "Flyby | Definition of Flyby"). A flyby occurs when Both probes were constructed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and weighed less than a ton each, costing a total of $80 million (“Mariner 3 and 4”; Impey and Henry). However, only one craft successfully reached Mars. During launch, Mariner 3’s shroud did not open properly, preventing the spacecraft from deploying its solar panels and attaining energy to charge its instruments ("Mariner 3 Failure Laid to Shroud"). Nine hours later, the spacecraft lost communication with Earth, and ground control terminated the mission (“Mariner 3 and 4”). Mariner 4, though, succeeded in its mission, accumulating twenty-one monochrome photos during its closest approach at ten thousand kilometers (Impey and Henry). These were the first photos of Mars captured in space. The photos depicted a barren planet that lacked a magnetic field to block cosmic rays, which causes brain …show more content…

They launched on an Atlas rocket during February and March 1969, respectively, aiming to fly over the planet’s equator and south pole, and study the atmosphere and surface using remote sensors (“Mariner 6 and 7”). Remote sensors measure the radiation emitted from a planet or send out independent signals to the planet and record the rate at which they return. Researchers mainly utilize the latter method to map the topography of the surface. This mission would provide scientists with a better image of Mars’ topography and continue the search for life. Ten days before the launch of Mariner 6, a switch opened the valves on the rocket carrying Mariner 6, releasing the pressure that stabilized the rocket and causing the booster to begin to crumble (“Mariner 6”). Luckily, two crewmen nearby were able to pressurize the pumps and save the spacecraft (“Mariner 6”). Having risked their lives and rescued Mariner 6, the two earned Exceptional Bravery Medals from NASA (“Mariner 6”). Exceptional Bravery Medals are awarded to those individuals who risk their personal safety to stop an emergency that threatens human lives or government property ("Agency Honor Awards"). During the flyby, Mariner 6 and 7 observed Mars’ cratered areas and imaged twenty percent of its surface (“Mariner 6 and 7”). These spacecraft confirmed that Schiaparelli and Lowell’s “canals” did not exist, negating the

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