GEO 330 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Vastitas Borealis, Gilbert Levin, Geiger Counter
14 May 2018
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600 kg landed mass, powered by 238Pu RTGs
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Landing site: Chryse Planitia (22.697 °N, 48.222 °W)
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Operated from July 20, 1976 to November 13, 1982 (accidentally shut off)
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Viking 1 Lander
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Landing site: Utopia Planitia (48.269 °N, 225.990 °W)
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Operated from September 3, 1976 to April 11, 1980 (battery failed)
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Viking 2 Lander
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360 kg landed mass (Rover = 16 kg), powered by solar panels
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Landing site: Ares Valles (19.33 °N, 33.55 °W)
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Operated from July 4, 1997 to September 27, 1997
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Pathfinder
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174 kg mobile mass, powered by solar panels
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Landing sites: Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum
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Operated from January 2004 to present (Spirit silent since March 22, 2010)
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Mars Exploration Rovers
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680 kg landed mass, powered by solar panels
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Landing site: Vastitas Borealis (68.22 °N, 234.25 °E)
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Operated from May-October 2008 (152 sols)
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Phoenix Polar Lander
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899 kg landed mass, powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators
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Landing site: Gale Crater (5.4 °S, 137.8 °E)
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Operated from August 2012-present
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Mars Science Laboratory
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Four landers and four rovers have successfully returned imagery, mineralogical and geochemical
data from the surface of Mars
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The View from the Surface
Identical landers touched down at Utopia and Chryse Planitia
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Search for evidence for life on Mars
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Characterize the surface and atmosphere of Mars
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Obtain higher resolution images of Martian surface
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Major goals of missions were to
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Also included instruments for geological investigations -- cameras and x-ray fluorescence (XRF)
spectrometer that determined concentrations of elements heavier than Na
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Viking
Moisture added to soil sample, with the intention of "reviving" dormant organisms
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"Chicken Soup Mode" -- wet nutrients added to soil to encourage metabolism
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Designed to look for life in two different operating modes
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Gas Exchange Experiment
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Sample put in chamber with organic nutrients doped with radioactive 14C
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If microbes are present, they would metabolize 14C and release radioactive CO2to be
measured by Geiger counter
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PI (Gilbert Levin) believes that results from experiment are best explained by life in sample
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Labeled Release Experiment
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Soil sample exposed to 14C-doped CO2and CO, assuming that microbes had the capability to
turn these gases into organic matter in the absence of water
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Pyrolitic Release Experiment
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Viking Biology Experiments
Landing Sites -- Surface Properties and Processes
Thursday, May 3, 2018
1:45 PM
GEO 330 Page 1
Document Summary
Four landers and four rovers have successfully returned imagery, mineralogical and geochemical data from the surface of mars. 600 kg landed mass, powered by 238pu rtgs. Landing site: chryse planitia (22. 697 n, 48. 222 w) Operated from july 20, 1976 to november 13, 1982 (accidentally shut off) Landing site: utopia planitia (48. 269 n, 225. 990 w) Operated from september 3, 1976 to april 11, 1980 (battery failed) 360 kg landed mass (rover = 16 kg), powered by solar panels. Landing site: ares valles (19. 33 n, 33. 55 w) Operated from july 4, 1997 to september 27, 1997. 174 kg mobile mass, powered by solar panels. Operated from january 2004 to present (spirit silent since march 22, 2010) 680 kg landed mass, powered by solar panels. Landing site: vastitas borealis (68. 22 n, 234. 25 e) 899 kg landed mass, powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Landing site: gale crater (5. 4 s, 137. 8 e) Identical landers touched down at utopia and chryse planitia.
