mars3

cycle. During the day temperatures reach a maximum of 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night a minimum of minus 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime temperatures changed up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of 30 seconds. At night the winds blew steadily from the south. During the day they changed in a clockwise direction from south to west to north to east.
The Mars Pathfinder Mission was very successful. It proved that NASA could build a low-cost spacecraft ($150 million), and have it be reliable. During its three months on Mars, it collected 2.6 gigabits of data, which included more than 16,000 images and 8.5 million temperatures, pressure, and wind measurements of the Red Planet.
The rover traveled 100 meters, accomplished more than 16 chemical analyses of rocks and soil, and explored about 250 square meters of the planet's surface. The rover operated 12 times its design lifetime of seven days.
The successfulness of the Mars Pathfinder Mission has lead to further debate over future missions to Mars. Plans range from more surface photography to actual drilling of the polar ice caps. Many of the near future missions will be dealing with geological exploration of the red planet. Pictures from the orbit are being analyzed to see what type of terrain exists on Mars. The Japanese Nozomi is expected to arrive at Mars in 2003 after a four-year delay due to unexpected over-burn of the satellite leaving Earth's orbit.
The Mars Surveyor 2001 lander and rover is the latest program to gather more data about the red planet. The planned mission launch is early 2002, and the 2001 Surveyor will carry Environmental Compatibility Assessment equipment to measure surface dust to see if it has any hazardous potentials to human explorers. It will check for acidity, presence of toxic chemicals, and electrical conductivity. Another part of the mission will involve the In Situ Propellant Production, which will see if any atmospheric gases can be used to create fuel for the return trip to Earth from Mars instead of having to carry it with the explorers.
The geology of Mars is being studied carefully also. Scientists are looking at valleys on Mars to see whether they were formed by the flow of water. These valleys may be the targets for future robotics missions to explore the sapping effect of ground water and how it may have created the valleys. The Hadriaca Patera volcano on Mars is also an area of interest. The volcano lies close to a valley that may have been formed by water, and this may have been a place of hydrothermal activity on Mars. The hydrothermal activity could have had conditions that would have favored life on the red planet.
The Mars Climate History Mission, tentatively scheduled for 2009, is going to see if there is any limestone on Mars. Limestone is formed by high concentrations of carbon dioxide in water reacting with material on the sea floor. If limestone were found, it would point to an ancient liquid sea on Mars.
Mars has been a mystery to mankind for hundreds of years. Recently there have been huge advancements in technology, which allows us to study Mars in much greater detail. There have been thousands of pictures taken of the red planet by orbiting satellites. We've sent machines to the planet to gather data. Geography, atmosphere, and possible manned missions are all being researched. With so many future missions planned, and so many theories to test, it will take a massive amount of funding from governments and institutions. Hopefully, in the near future, there will be a possibility for mankind to exist on Mars.