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Mars: History and Life

(The three numbered pages are from the Mars Academy.)

#1 Earth and Mars Start Similarly

The backgrounds of two planets midway-distant from the Sun share important traits--like the role of water in biological development.

#2 Earth and Mars Develop Differently

Despite similar beginnings, Earth and Mars have clearly taken separate paths in their "recent" evolutions.

#3 Searching for Life on Mars

Given the importance of water in our search, there are several locations with good chances of success.

Why Search for Life on Mars?

Whether with science fiction or with scientific missions, the attraction to Mars stems from its being rather close to home.

The Similar Roots of Earth and Mars

Islands and networks of rivers indicate evidence of past water on a planet that today is barren and apparently life-less.

Early Scientific and Science Fiction Interest in Mars

Scientists Arouse Early Interest

As astronomers began drawing sketchy maps of the darkest features on the Red Planet, some even dreamed of intelligent life.

Schiaparelli and his Canali

An Italian scientist's observations of grooves in the Martian surface were mistaken for signs of intelligent life.

Lowell Fuels the Speculation

As many astronomers took a skeptical view of the notion of life on Mars, Lowell fantasized about sophisticated civilization.

Science Fiction Conceives the Martian

From Martians on Earth to Earthlings on Mars, it was a favorite topic of Heinlein, von Braun and Bradbury.

Welles's Wonderful War of the Worlds

A program as remarkable for its radio-drama as for the real-life drama, it caused successfully sold the idea of a Martian invasion.

Modern Interest in Mars

A Rock Shows Evidence of Life

This Martian meteorite had been picked up in the Antarctic ice and snow, no one knowing what it would later prove to be.

Chemical Tests Offer Evidence of Life

When one scientist took a second look at the Martian rock, he noticed hydrocarbons and other evidence of past life preserved in stone.

Scientists Announce Evidence of Life

After long debate over the publication of the findings of possible evidence of past life, gradual leaks forced an announcement to be made.

The Invasion of Mars

The exploration of this nearby planet has yielded much information but left much about its past unknown and left many questions about the future simmering.

Sending Humans to Mars

The Goal of Humans on Mars

Landings and even now a rover have come in contact with the Martian soil. Scientists say humans should, too, one day.

Fueling a Human Mission to Mars

The necessity of fuel and multiple capsules for supplies makes a human mission logistically complex.

The Demands on Humans on Mars

Finding the correct team of individuals for the first human missions to Mars is an important component.

Customizing Mars Through Terraforming

To make Mars more livable for human inhabitants, terraforming proposals would attempt to add liquid water and oxygen to the atmosphere.

Soviet Missions to Mars: Mars, Phobos, Mars '96

Soviets Pioneer a Mars Landing

Though none of the probes were brilliantly successful, Mars 2 through 7 were ground-breaking firsts in Mars exploration.

Soviets Target a Martian Moon

Loaded and ready to land on Phobos, one of Mars's two moons, the two Phobos probes promised to make up for earlier failures.

Russians Invade with Mars '96

The most recent Russian spacecraft illustrates that the Red Planet remains a prominent target for space exploration.

American Missions to Mars: Mariner

Mariner 4 Inaugurates Mars Exploration

When the United States turned to Mars exploration, this probe was its first and as well the first ever to send back pictures taken by a craft in space.

Mariners 6 & 7 Snap the Surface

The task completed in full by the later Viking missions, the first attempts at mapping the surface were made using these probes.

Mariner 9 Enters Year-long Orbit

Becoming the first craft to orbit another planet, Mariner 9 stimulated interest in the possibility of water previously existing on Mars.

American Missions to Mars: Viking

Vikings Set Off to Conquer Mars

This ambitious program sent a pair of orbiters outfitted with landers that would rest on the surface and conduct soil experiments.

On the Surface of the Red Planet

The landing modules of the dual Viking missions set foot on the Red Planet and returned pictures of rocky, barren plains.

Landers Sift Soil for Clues

The Viking 1 and 2 landers contained on-board labs for soil analysis; these facilities conducted the search for important gases linked to life.

Vikings Were Pricey but Productive

A remarkable feat, these first landings required expensive precautions but returned data upon which scientists rely even today.

American Missions to Mars: Present and Future

Exploring Mars by Remote Control

Rovers and penetrators offer two examples of devices operable from Earth that would locate and analyze above and below the surface.

Pathfinder and its Remarkable Rover

Going a step beyond simply landing, the Mars Pathfinder deployed a small rover to investigate the composition of rocks on Mars.

Mars Observer Drifts Away

An expensive and recent probe, the Mars Observer was launched in 1992 but suffered catastrophic mechanical failure just before going into orbit.

Global Surveyor Maps Martian Terrain

The first in a series of planned Surveyor missions to become a reality, the Global Surveyor will plot topography and study Martian weather.

Mars Surveyor Sends a Stream of Probes

The Mars Surveyor program includes plans for future missions to monitor the planet's atmosphere and dig into its ground.

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