Curiosity Page 33
MARDI (Mars Descent Imager), 91–92, 136, 154, 173
Mariner program, 37, 78, 165, 192
Mariner 4, 37, 38–41, 40, 78, 127–28, 167
Mariner 6 and 7, 37, 41, 78, 170
Mariner 9, 37, 41, 42, 45–46, 78, 104, 170
Mariner failures, 37, 41
Mariners reaching Venus, 36, 41
Markle, Lawren, 15, 20
Mars (planet)
biological pollution from Earth, 109–17
confirming age of a rock on Mars, 257–58
formation of, 260–61
geologic history of, 260–63, 267, 274
history of man's interest in, 29–35
images from, 40, 45, 62, 70, 105, 150, 174, 176, 194, 197, 199, 205, 219, 221, 234, 247, 250, 259, 267, 268, 270
living on Mars Time during missions and projects, 160–64, 162
maps, 85, 87
place names on, 191–97
summary of discoveries and information gathered by Curiosity, 260–67
theory that life on Earth originated on Mars, 116
ultimate goal: crewed mission to Mars, 276
See also time delay for transmissions between Earth and Mars
Mars (Roman god/God of War), 30
“Mars and Beyond” (von Braun's Disneyland episode), 35
Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO), failure of, 63, 139
Mars Descent Imager. See MARDI
Mars Evolution and Volatile Atmosphere (MAVEN) mission, 207
Mars Exploration Rovers mission (MER), 24, 51, 63–64, 66–67, 72, 100, 139, 145
basing parts of the MSL project on, 64–65, 72–74, 75, 77
goals and purpose of, 65, 71, 89
importance of advance testing, 68
learning from Pathfinder mission, 55
need to live on Mars Time during the mission, 160–61
success of, 76
using airbag concept for landing, 67–69, 68, 137, 141
worry about biological contamination of Mars, 112
See also Opportunity (rover); Spirit (rover)
Mars Express mission, 67, 167
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) program, 64, 79, 165–66, 166, 167, 168, 172
Mars Hand Lens Imager. See MAHLI
Mars Observer (MO) program, 79
Mars Odyssey program, 64, 153, 167, 175, 189
Mars Pathfinder, 24, 55, 59, 60, 140, 193–94. See also Sojourner (rover)
Mars Phoenix lander, 99, 100, 163, 228, 232
Mars Polar Lander (MPL), failure of, 63–64, 139, 141
Mars Project, The [Das Marsprojekt] (von Braun), 35
Mars Rat (rock), 197
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) program, 26, 99, 100, 104, 105, 136, 167, 175, 188, 189, 223
Mars Science Laboratory (Grotzinger, Vasavada, and Russell), 260
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project, 13, 14, 17–18, 134–36, 143, 144, 145–46, 274
basing parts of the MSL project on previous missions
MER mission, 64–65, 72–74, 75–81, 77
Pathfinder mission, 75–76, 77, 79
Voyager program, 80
choosing where to land, 82–88
components of MSL, 138
goals and purpose of, 71, 75, 76, 89, 97, 99–100, 101, 267
looking at habitability of Mars, 100–101, 121, 267
not a true life-science mission, 112
summary of discoveries and information gathered, 246–54, 260–67
technical and administrative issues, 118–26, 180–90
trip from Earth to Mars, 131–36
use of orbiters to assist, 165–72
worry about biological contamination of Mars, 112–17
See also Curiosity (rover); EDL; names of individual employees
Mars Smart Lander (original name for what became Mars Science Laboratory), 71, 96, 141
Mars Society, the, 151
Mars 3 Soviet mission, 42, 43
Mars Time, 28, 160–64, 162, 176, 203, 228
Mars 2020 mission, 114, 275
Mars Yard (test track), 89
Mastcam, 90, 97, 175, 184, 187, 249
Mastcam simulator, 50
test of, 176, 186
used to be able to plan ahead, 189, 204, 207, 224, 240
Matijevic, Jake, 202
MAVEN. See Mars Evolution and Volatile Atmosphere mission
Mawrth Vallis, 84, 85
McDonnell Douglas rocket project, DCX, 142
McLennon, Scott, 273
MEDLI (MSL Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrument), 96
Men in Black (movie), 116
Mercury (planet), 30, 36, 127, 261
Mercury program, 57, 118
Meridiani Planum (as an Opportunity landing site), 69, 73
meteorites, 103–104
on Earth, 116, 117, 169, 210, 256, 266
on Mars, 73
methane on Mars, 44, 100, 167, 218
Meyer, Michael, 100, 212, 251
Mickey Mouse (character), 194
Microscopic Imager. See MAHLI
Midas Muffler (in Viking landing area), 193
Milliken, Ralph, 186
Mini Cooper car compared to Curiosity, 89
Mr. Badger (in Viking landing area), 193
Mr. Moley (in Viking landing area), 193
Mr. Rat (in Viking landing area), 193
Mitchell, Gordon, 129, 130
MO. See Mars Observer program
Moe (rock near Sojourner), 194
“Mohawk Guy.” See Ferdowsi, Bobak
Moon. See Apollo program
Morning Edition (NPR radio show), 209
Morse code, use of to monitor rover wheels, 185
Mount Sharp, 101–102, 134, 174, 175, 176, 217
Mount Sharp Ascent Team, 271
possibility of water in the past, 87, 87, 178, 273
as a primary objective, 27, 86, 171, 219, 270, 272
road to, 184, 185, 198–207, 225, 255, 259, 265, 268, 268–72
choosing to visit Glenelg first, 196, 198, 199, 204
sedimentation layers of, 86, 102, 107, 263, 270, 270–71
as a time machine revealing Mars history, 263, 274
MSL. See Mars Science Laboratory project
MSL Entry Descent and Landing Instrument. See MEDLI
MSS. See Malin Space Science Systems
mudstone, 242, 248, 251, 252
Musk, Elon, 226
Nagasaki, 80
naming features on Mars, 194
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 13–14, 36–46, 64
choosing fuel for MSL, 80–81
as a civilian agency, 126
and the impact of the comment “one for the history books,” 208–16
incorporating lessons learned into new projects, 76
Inspector General “Report on NASA's Management of the Mars Science Laboratory Project,” 120–25
JPL managed and operated for NASA by Caltech, 181, 219
need for “faster, better, and cheaper” missions, 54, 56, 119, 139
summary of discoveries and information gathered, 246–54, 260–67
technical and administrative issues for MSL, 118–26
See also Apollo program; Caltech; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Mariner program; Mars Exploration Rovers mission; Mars Science Laboratory project; names of individual employees; Viking program
National Geographic TV, 52
National Public Radio (NPR), 208
Nature (journal), 215
Navcams (navigation cameras), 28, 91, 187, 189, 199, 229
Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous–Shoemaker mission (NEAR-Shoemaker), 67
Neptune (planet), 80, 127
Nergal, a deity of fire and destruction, 30
Newlin, Laura, 112
News.com (news source), 210
New Scientist (newspaper), 20
New York Times (newspaper), 20
Nibbles (place on Mars), 193
Nils Bohr Institute, 14
nitr
ogen on Mars, 95, 97, 98, 251, 266
Nixon, Richard M., 115
Noachian period on Mars, 261, 262
N165. See Coronation
NPR. See National Public Radio
nuclear fuel for MSL program. See plutonium fuel
Oberth, Hermann, 35
Oh, David, 164
olivine, 18, 71, 96, 252
“one for the history books,” 208–16, 217–19
Opportunity (rover), 24, 55, 63–74, 75
area expected to cover, 79
benefits gained from mission, 74
comparing three generations of Mars rovers, 78
and contamination, 113
at Endurance Crater, 70
equipment on, 65–66, 231
finding piece of self, 205–206
importance of advance testing, 68–69
landing area for, 69, 86
length of primary mission, 67
longevity of, 73, 230
process for obtaining samples, 232
size of, 64, 232
use of solar panels, 65, 72, 79–80
See also Mars Exploration Rovers mission; Spirit (rover)
orbiter programs
Mars Evolution and Volatile Atmosphere (MAVEN) mission arriving in late 2014, 207
orbiter programs helping MSL, 165–72, 175. See also Mars Express mission; Mars Global Surveyor program; Mars Observer program; Mars Odyssey program; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter program; Viking program
organics, search for (precursors to life). See life on Mars
Outer Space Treaty, Article 9 of, 113
oxidation process on Mars, 86, 232, 241, 251, 252, 262, 264
not seen on inside of John Klein (rock), 247
oxygen as essential for life, 98, 251
PADS. See Powder Acquisition Drill System
Palca, Joe, 208–209, 211
palindromes, 195–96
Pancam, 65–66
“panspermia,” 116
parachutes and landings on Mars, 133
and Curiosity, 23, 26, 112, 136, 137, 138, 142, 144, 154, 156, 175, 198
and Mars Polar Lander, 63
and MERs, 67–69
and Pathfinder, 53, 57–58, 68
and Viking, 59, 136
Pathfinder mission, 53–62, 63, 132, 220, 231
area expected to cover, 104
basing parts of other missions on, 75, 77, 140
computer glitches, 61, 72
and contamination issues, 111–12
efforts to do everything possible mechanically, 144
goals and purpose of, 71, 89
importance of advance testing, 58–59
landing area for, 60, 86
length of successful operations, 62
need to live on Mars Time during the mission, 160
restricted to line-of-sight, ground-based messages, 167
use of ramp to deploy the rover, 139
use of solid-fueled rockets to slow down, 145
using airbag concept for landing, 59–60, 79, 137
See also Sojourner (rover)
perchlorate, 100, 104, 213, 218, 232, 265
percussive drill. See drill
phosphorous as essential for life, 98, 251
Photometry Flats (rock near Sojourner), 194
Pinocchio (movie), 193
place names on Mars, 191–97
Planeta Martis (Schiaparelli's map of Mars), 32
Planetary Protection Officer, 113, 116–17
Planetary Quarantine, 110–11
Planetary Society (nonprofit), 151
Pluto, loss of planetary status, 127
plutonium fuel, 80–81, 81, 186, 257
Point Lake (outlook on Mars), 207
polar caps of Mars, 38, 101, 170, 232. See also Mars Polar Lander, failure of
Popular Science (magazine) online, 209
potassium on Mars, 258, 266
Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS), 94
power for rovers. See plutonium fuel; solar panels
Pre-Noachian period on Mars, 261
Proctor, Richard, 191
“Promised Land, the.” See Glenelg (place on Mars)
Ptolemy, 30–31
Pyle, Rod
attending Science Operations Working Group meetings on rover-driving activities, 180–90
in Death Valley looking at geological formations, 15–22
describing experiences during the landing of Curiosity, 23–28, 149–59
getting involved with the comment “one for the history books,” 211
love of Mars, 127–30
at the testing of the Scarecrow, 47–52
trying to adjust to Mars Time, 164
pyroxene, 18
RAD (Radiation Assessment Detector), 90, 95, 176, 264–65
RAD750 PowerPC chip, 134
radiation on Mars, 104, 110, 112, 117, 121, 232, 249, 264–65
Radioisotopic Thermal Generators. See RTGs
RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool), 66, 77
“Reach for the Stars” (song by will.i.am), 201
red color of Mars, 29–30, 31, 34, 39, 130, 154, 177, 178, 232, 241, 247, 254, 262, 273. See also “gray Mars”
REMS (Rover Environmental Monitoring Station), 90, 93
Reuters (news agency), 20
Rice, Melissa, 269
Ripple (part of Rocknest), 204, 205
robotic arm
on Curiosity, 66, 90, 91, 92, 92, 93–94, 96, 177, 190, 206, 217, 220, 224, 225–30, 234. See also APXS used on Curiosity and MERs; drill; MAHLI; scoop
impact of temperatures on, 187, 240–41, 242, 243, 244
short circuit, 234, 235
on MERs, 74, 76, 77, 232
on Phoenix, 232
on Viking, 231
Rock Abrasion Tool. See RAT
rock brushes. See DRT; RAT
Rock Garden (target rock area near Sojourner), 61, 194
Rocknest (place on Mars), 191, 204–205, 206, 239–40
close-up view of sands in, 219
press release on first Martian soil samples, 217–19
samples collected at, 205, 207, 212, 247
ropes, use of in landing on Mars. See sky crane
rover driving, 25, 65, 73, 177, 190, 201, 220–30, 226, 244, 269
kinds of terrain encountered, 184–85
meetings concerning, 181–90
need to protect wheels from damage, 258–59, 259
software used by Curiosity's drivers, 221
Rover Environmental Monitoring Station. See REMS
RSVP (Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program ), 73, 221, 222, 224
RTGs (Radioisotopic Thermal Generators), 80, 81, 257
Russell, Chris, 260
Russian Space Agency, 94
Salyut (Russian space-station program), 36
SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars instrument), 90, 95, 97, 103, 231
atmospheric samples, 207, 255, 256
need for clean, uncontaminated samples, 206, 227, 238
soil and rock samples
first sample, 207, 208–16, 217–19
John Klein (first drilled rock), 248, 251, 252
testing of, 201–202, 240
samples, 230, 250
age of samples determined, 265, 266
need for mission to return samples to Earth, 18, 114, 257, 274, 275
process for obtaining, 227, 228, 236, 237, 243–44. See also APXS used on Curiosity and MERs; CheMin; drill; DRT; SAM; scoop
Viking 1 and 2 samples, 44–45
sand dunes
on Mars, 51, 259, 267, 268
testing of Scarecrow on Earth, 47–52, 48
Saturn (planet), 30, 53, 67, 80, 127, 257, 261
Enceledus, a moon of, 267
Saturn V (rocket), 35
Scarecrow, the (test version of Curiosity), 47–52, 48, 89–90
Schiaparelli, Giovanni, 31–33, 32, 127, 165, 191, 192
Schmitt, Harrison, 74, 142
Science (journal), 2
15, 266
Science Operations Working Group meetings, 181–90, 190
science platform for the Mars Science Laboratory project, 89–97. See also names of specific equipment
scoop
on Curiosity, 90, 94, 97, 103, 204, 207, 217, 218, 219, 229, 231, 232, 246, 247
on MERs, 44
on Viking and Sojourner, 104
Secchi, Angelo, 191
sedimentation exploration, 99, 104–108, 105, 165, 169–70, 262–63, 274
in Arabia Terra, 105, 263
basalt from lava flow obscuring, 69, 71
in Gale Crater area, 83, 87, 102, 103, 206, 240–41, 251, 252, 256, 263, 265, 266–67
in Glenelg, 199–200
Hottah, 203–204
at John Klein, 241, 249
in Holden Crater, 83
Malin and Edgett hypotheses about water and sedimentation on Mars, 104–106, 165, 168–71
in Mawrth Vallis, 84
in Meridiani, 69–71
in Mount Sharp area, 86, 102, 107, 263, 270, 270–71
near Eberswalde Crater, 170–71
and slower cooling rocks, 241
See also soil on Mars
Seidel, David, 150
Sepikas, John, 149
“7 Minutes of Terror” (video), 20, 25, 48, 132, 133
chart of the EDL, 148
SFOF. See under Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Shaler outcrop, 267
Shark (rock found by Sojourner), 194
Shepard, Alan, 118
Sikorsky Helicopters, 142
sky crane (part of MSL), 137–48, 147, 157, 158
Skylab (US space-station program), 36
small features on Mars, naming of, 192
Snoopy (place on Mars), 193
software
for Curiosity, 134
flight and landing software, 122, 123, 134, 154, 177
for ground operations, 177, 179, 187, 190, 190, 198, 220, 221, 221–24, 225, 228, 230, 240, 257
glitches encountered in Mars Climate Orbiter, 63
glitches encountered in Mars Polar Orbiter, 64
for landing-site selection, 183
Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP), 73, 221, 221, 224
software simulations, 228
Unix, 182, 185, 221
soil on Mars, 248, 265
comment about first Martian soil samples, 208–16
follow-up press release on, 217–19
contamination issues, 109–10, 112, 117, 122
Curiosity analysis of, 102–103, 130, 154, 173, 199, 201, 264
equipment used for, 66, 77, 94, 95, 96, 204, 206, 209, 212, 227, 231, 487
first samples, 204, 205, 206–207, 208–16, 217–19, 239–40
indications of conditions suited for ancient life, 251–53, 264
perchlorate found, 100, 104, 213, 218, 232, 265
Pathfinder analysis of, 60
Phoenix lander analysis of, 232
Viking analysis of, 44–45
See also sedimentation exploration; water on Mars