Difference between revisions of "Mars"

Revision as of 08:25, 30 March 2010

Mars
Category	Planet
Size	Spherical; r = 3,386km
Orbited Body	Sun
Periapsis	206,669,000 km
Apoapsis	249,209,300 km
Time Delay	240-1200 s
Type of Visit	Main Mission

For millennia, Mars has held a fascination over Mankind. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars is also the seventh largest planet in the solar system. Its soil has a high amount of iron oxide (rust), giving the planet its characteristic red colour and its nickname: The Red Planet.

The first spacecraft to visit Mars was Mariner 4 in 1965. Several others followed including Mars 2, the first spacecraft to land on Mars and the two Viking landers in 1976. Ending a long 20 year hiatus, Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on 1997 July 4.

Spacesim Missions

Spacesim has visited Mars thrice as a main mission destination:

• Mars 2002
• Mars 2005
• 2008's Red Dawn

Spacesim Findings

Seismic Activity

Red Dawn was plagued with terrible Earthquakes for the duration of their visit to Mars. Due to the short time of their stay, it is unknown whether this seismic activity is typical of Mars or a recent development. Future missions should consider carrying seismology experiments.

Sources

• Mission Research 2002

The Solar System
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