What is the Mars Global Surveyor?
The Mars Global Surveyor is a spacecraft launched by the US space agency NASA in November 1996. It was co-developed by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mission represented the United States’ return to Mars after a 17-year hiatus, the last Mars mission being the Viking 2 lander, which reached the surface of Mars on 3 September 1976. The Mars Global Surveyor achieved orbital insertion on 24 August 1993, orbiting every 117.65 minutes at an average altitude of 378 kilometers. The Mars Global Surveyor was an orbiter whose purpose was to take images of the red planet and send them back to Earth. The craft orbited Mars for nearly ten full years, until in November 2006 it stopped responding to communications from Earth and was declared lost. The Mars Global Surveyor is significant for two main reasons: first, it kickstarted a series of Mars missions and public fascination that continues to this day, and second, as recently as 2006 it observed evidence that small amounts of water has
” would not be an appropriate question. Questions which arise from reading a expert’s biography or Field Journal are encouraged. We recognize that this creates a gray area about whether or not a question is appropriate. Simply use your best judgment. Since the main idea is to excite students about the wonders of science and research, please err on the side of having the students participate. If you are not sure whether or not to send a question, send it. Some teachers have used a group dynamic to refine the questions that they email to experts. For example, after first studying LFM material, students divide into groups and create a few questions per group. All of the questions are then shared, and students are given an opportunity to find answers to their classmates’ questions. Those that remain unanswered are sent to the LFM team. Ideally, the act of sending questions will further engage the student in their learning. It may help to think back to an early stage of development when the
What is its mission? How do you think the Odyssey complements the Mars Global Surveyor? Why do you think scientists are interested in finding hydrogen on Mars? How will the presence of hydrogen on Mars affect humans going to Mars? • What happened to the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander? How do you think these failures impacted NASA? How did President George W. Bush budget for NASA, and specifically for the Odyssey? Why do you think the Odyssey got more money than other missions? 2. Generate a class discussion about the future possibilities of humans living on Mars. Do you think it is possible? What are some of the reasons that Mars may a more likely option than Jupiter, Venus or Pluto? Assessment Divide the students into small groups. Have each group develop a plan that would enable a colony to survive on Mars. Students need to include how the town will provide food and water for the people. Ask students to create diagrams of their planned communities. Invite groups to sh
