Issue #15 (July 2020)
All About Mars
The planet Mars is probably the most studied planet, other than Earth, in our solar system. Like Earth, Mars is a terrestrial planet, as opposed to a gas planet like Jupiter for example. Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet, due to the brownish-red color of its surface caused by iron oxide in …
Gazing upon Mars
Throughout our exclusive Mars 2020 Exploration Mission Guide, we included a number of images of Mars captured by the plethora of orbiters, landers and rovers that the nations of Earth have sent to study the planet. Here we are including a large selection of those images. Many of the images are false-color or otherwise enhanced …
Mars 2020 Mission Overview
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is NASA’s next mission to Mars as well as being the most complex and scientifically advanced robotic mission sent to the Red Planet. The $2.4 Billion Mars Perseverance rover is a flagship mission dedicated to the search for signs of life beyond Earth, as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, …
Building for Mars
The planning and construction of a new space mission is a multi-year process by both the space agency itself and a large number of other contractors working on the spacecraft’s hardware and software, to the rocket launching the interplanetary probe toward its target. Here we’ve assembled a gallery of the Mars 2020 rover and helicopter throughout …
Mars Exploration Historical Timeline
1960s MARSNIK 1 Failure USSR • Oct. 10, 1960 • Flyby Did not reach Earth orbit. MARSNIK 2 Failure USSR • Oct. 14, 1960 • Flyby Did not reach Earth orbit. SPUTNIK 22 Failure USSR • Oct. 24, 1962 • Flyby Achieved Earth orbit only. MARS 1 Failure USSR • Nov. 1, 1962 • Flyby …
QuizMe: Mars Exploration
During the past 60 years humanity has been sending mission after mission to Mars in order to learn more about our neighbor. Now it is your turn to test your knowledge about those missions that have failed to turn up any sign of the little green Martians once popular in science fiction. This edition of …
Project: Make a paper Mars helicopter
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, launching in July 2020, will carry the first helicopter to the surface of Mars! This helicopter has to be super lightweight to fly on Mars. It also needs large blades that can rotate really fast so it can generate enough lift to overcome the gravity of the Red Planet and lift …
QuizMe: Mars, The Red Planet
For more than 4,000 years, humans have been gazing upward at Mars. It was only in the past 60 years though that we’ve been able to study the Red Planet in much greater detail with the steady launch of missions to orbit and land upon the planet. Now it is your turn to test your …
Mars Exploration Word Search
NASA and the United Arab Emirates are launching separate missions to Mars as early as next month. Although unconfirmed, it has been reported that China also may be sending a rover and orbiter to the Red Planet in July or August. Since 1960, more than 50 missions have been sent to Mars, with varying success. To …
NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission Crossword
NASA is upping its game with the next mission to the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 mission will include a car-size rover based largely on the design of the Curiosity rover. Also attaching a ride to Mars with the new rover is a small helicopter that will test powered flight on another world for the …