AST 2003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Martian Soil
Document Summary
Air on mars: 95% carbon dioxide, 5% nitrogen, argon, and oxygen. Is considered a small planet because it is half the size of earth: does(cid:374)"t have e(cid:374)ough of a gravitatio(cid:374)al pull to hold a thicker at(cid:373)osphere, has a red sky that is dusty and windy. Mostly made of particle iron oxide: we hope to build a base there and it will be made by spacex and nasa. Landings: spirit and opportunity (bubbles, curiosity (cable, 1975- viking- used to land on mars and study life. Once it got the dust back to earth, the scientist saw that the martian soil was effervescent and not biological. The composition showed it to be a very sterile ground that would be though to continue life there: 2016- life on mars is not yet conclusive. Moons: phobos (fear) and demois (panic, both potato shaped, irregular moons, captured by the gravitational pull of mars.
