Space Discovery Research Paper

On May 30, 1971, an unmanned space probe, named the Mariner 9, was launched into space from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Its mission: to study the atmosphere and the surface of the Martian planet. Where it contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars.

The Magellan spacecraft (Venus Radar Mapper) was launched by NASA on the 4th of May, 1989. The main goal of its mission was to map the surface of Venus by employing the synthetic aperture radar method. The first stage of the mission began on the 15th of September, 1990. The objective was to map 70% of the Venus surface through a left looking method. This stage ended on the 15th of May, 1991. The Magellan spacecraft mapped 83.7% of the Venus surface. Right after the end of the first stage, the spacecraft was reoriented by 180 degrees such that a right looking method could be invoked. By the 14th of January, 1992, the

A question that has been asked for many reasons in the space world: Is there life on other planets? A mission called Curiosity launched in 2011. Curiosity has been on Mars since August.Curiosity’s goal was to find signs of water and see if Mars was suitable for life. The surprising fact on Mars is there is presence of water. One key element was Mars once had habitable conditions and there looks to be ice on the planet. Curiosity has been using a camera to take photos of Mars. It is much like the panoramic camera we have on Earth. Both cameras have the same material incorporated in them and are used for the same purpose.

Space exploration is one of the most interesting concepts since the knowledge of space. Humans have always wanted to know what lies beyond our planet and what the mysterious world “out there” has to offer. In 1959, mankind was able to partially accomplish this feat by crashing an object

Mariner 10 was a probe that was launched by NASA in 1973 to get information on both Venus and Mercury. It had sister spacecraft that went to other planets in the solar system, like Mars and Neptune. One of its sister craft, Voyager 1, even made it outside of our solar system, and is the furthest spacecraft from Earth. The spacecraft’s mission was led by Bruce C. Murray,

Its original telescope, still in operation, is a 24-in. (61-cm) refractor; also located at the Mars Hill site are the 13-in. (33-cm) A. Lawrence Lowell photographic camera used by Clyde Tombaugh when he discovered Pluto, and a 16-in. reflector used in the visitors' night viewing program.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.

In May 1971, the final Mariner missions headed toward Mars launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida (Impey and Henry). Although Mariner 8 failed during launch, Mariner 9 went on to become the first man-made satellite to orbit Mars (Impey and Henry). Being the most complex planetary craft of the time, the mission cost one billion dollars, a price equivalent to four billion today (Impey and Henry). The spacecraft collected the first close-up photos of Mars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos (“Mariner 8 and 9”). Upon arrival, Mariner 9 encountered a dust storm raging across the planet’s surface, forcing the orbiter to delay imaging until the storm subsided (“Mariner 8 and 9”). Afterward, the satellite carried out both its original missions, to study changes in the planet’s atmosphere and

Viking 1 was part of a two-part mission to investigate “The Red Planet” which is known as Mars. Viking 1 searched for signs of life. It was the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. It performed the first Martian soil sample using its robotic arm for bodyguard and the special biological laboratory. The Viking 1 lander touched down on the western slope of Chryse Planitia. Viking 2 lander stopped at a Utopia Planitia. Viking ½ were identical spacecrafts. They were launched on different dates. Viking one was launched August 20, 1975. Viking 2 was launched on September 9, 1975. Viking 1 arrived to Mars on June 19, 1976. Viking 2 arrived on Mars August 7, 1976. They took pictures and collected scientific data on the surface. They conducted

Before the sailor flybys in the 1960s, scientist thought Mars had water and life, even if it was just some sort of plantlike lichen. Mars has water, frozen underground and at the polar caps. There is (event(s) or object(s) that prove something) that this water has, in the past and present, flooded the surface in liquid from. Signs of wearing away can be

Scientists are sending drones to different planets such as Mars so that they can see if it

Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts: an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander designed to study the planet from the surface. The orbiters also served as communication relays for the landers once they touched down. It was highly successful and formed most of the body of knowledge about Mars through the late 199os and early 2ooos.

The rover Curiosity, finally landed on mars August 6, 2012, it was launched November 26, 2011. Before NASA could be launched Curiosity, the rover it had to go through series of test, drop tests, pull test, drive test, load test, stress tests, and shorting tests. So scientists had to realize that Earth and Mars revolve around the sun at different rates meaning it takes Mars 686 earths days and the Earth 365 days. They did to figure out when Mars was closest to Earth. Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral. Stage one, it reaches space and the tip of the cone opens and fall off. During the second stage, a centuar engine starts placing the vehicle into obit. When everything is alined the second engine starts to bring it to mars. Once Curiosity is on Mars it will do tasks such as collecting rock, soil sampling and placing them on instruments in order to be analyzed. What goes into the rover (Siceloff, Steven. "Mars Rover Well-Equipped for Studies." NASA's John F. Kennedy

Our new understanding of the solar system and the technology we’ve developed through conducting missions has benefitted our society by helping us understand things about other planets, space, and most importantly help us understand more things about our home, planet Earth.

(Sony, 2003) Bibliography: Mars (2001) MyPetstop.co.uk [Online] Mars Incorporated.

surface of Mars. These were disproved as tricks of the eye. Spacecraft in the 1960’s