Mars Exploration & the Perseverance Rover

Why Mars?

• We know that there was once water on Mars, and we have known this for a long time.

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• Even in the 1800s, astronomers could see canals on the Martian surface through telescopes!

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• As technology has improved, we have gotten better evidence.

What’s the evidence?

• Probably not what you would think!
• Most of our evidence comes from:
• Orbital observations
• Rock analyses from rovers
• Martian meteorites

Valles Marineris

Jarosite

Carbonate Minerals

River Delta

Mars Geology

• Though we think Mars may have once been Earth-like, there are some important differences.

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• Mars doesn’t have active plate tectonics – this means that rocks aren’t “recycled” in the same way that they are on Earth.
• We can study rocks that are really, really old!

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• Mars has a very thin atmosphere and no magnetic field.

Missions to Mars

• There have been 49 total missions to Mars, and 29 of them have been successful.
• 5 missions, including the Perseverance Rover, are still on their way to Mars.

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• Most missions have been orbiters or landers – only 4 rovers have landed on the surface of Mars
• 2 more are on their way!

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)

Sojourner Rover

Mars Polar Lander

Sojourner Rover

• Landed July 4^th, 1997 and was operational for 83 sols (85 Earth days)
• Explored the Ares Vallis region
• Scientists thought this might be the site of an ancient flood, which would have carried lots of different types of rocks to one place
• Flat, safe place to land
• The whole rover was about the size of a microwave!

Spirit Rover

• Landed on January 4^th, 2004 and was active until March 22^nd, 2010
• Landing site was Gusev Crater
• Observations from satellites showed that there may have been rivers flowing into Gusev Crater in the past
• It was probably an ancient lake!
• Spirit had a twin – Opportunity

Opportunity Rover

• Landed on January 25^th, 2004 and was active until February 13^th, 2019
• Landing site was Meridiani Planum
• Data from satellites showed that this area had a mineral called hematite, which is associated with water on Earth
• Flat, safe place to land

Curiosity Rover

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

• Landed on August 6^th, 2012 and is still active today
• Landing site: Gale Crater
• At this point, we know that Mars once had water – but what else did it have?
• Gale Crater has a mountain in its center, which is made of many layers of different rocks
• Tells us about the history of water on Mars
• Goal is to study Martian climate, likelihood of microbial life, and potential for human exploration

Perseverance Rover

• Launched July 30^th, 2020 and is scheduled to land on Mars on February 18^th, 2021
• Landing site: Jezero Crater
• This rover’s mission is to investigate Mars for possible biosignatures and past habitable environments.
• Biosignatures are signs of ancient life – sort of like fossils, but in the chemistry of the rocks.

Jezero Crater

• Jezero Crater is thought to have housed an ancient lake located within an ancient river delta.
• This type of environment is good at preserving biosignatures on Earth.
• The crater has several different layers of rocks, and the minerals in these rocks can tell us about the environment that they formed in.

What are we looking for?

• Carbonate minerals
• On Earth, these can be found in shells, limestone, on the seafloor, and many other places.

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• Elements for life
• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Nitrogen
• Sulfur
• Phosphorus

Stony Brook University and the Perseverance Rover

• Many people at SBU are involved with the Perseverance Rover!

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• In my lab at SBU, we have a “breadboard” version of a scientific instrument that is on the Rover’s arm.

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• PIXL – Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry

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• This instrument sends x-rays into rocks and can tell you what they are made of.

A PIXL Scan Example

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Collected by the flight instrument before heading to Mars

How would you look for life?

• What does life (as we know it) need?
• Atmosphere/Magnetosphere
• Water
• CHNOPS
• Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur
• What kind of planet can support life?
• “Habitable Zone”
• Plate tectonics
• If you were to discover a planet, how would you know if it could support life? Where would you look for life on your planet?
• Extra: Give it a name!

Thank you!

If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at ella.holme@stonybrook.edu

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