|
| 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 four times as a main mission destination:
Spacesim is currently planning a mission to Mars for the 2015-16 year.
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.
Red Sun continued with the seismic activity of the past mission and research was done into the earthquakes as well as the geological elements of the surface.
Sources
