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Jordan Desai
Professor Mayes
Planetary Science 200
23 September 2015
Comparing Three Mars Rovers
Mars is not easy to reach or explore. Nearly two-thirds of all missions have failed.
However, in recent years, the United States has had more success landing rovers. Of recent
missions, two rovers essentially crash-landed in a cocoon of airbags and one soft-landed.
The first lander, Sojourner, part of the Mars Pathfinder mission, was about the size of a
milk crate and weighed 33 pounds. It landed using airbags on July 4, 1997, and stayed active 10
times longer than scheduled.
The next missions were the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were launched a
few weeks apart and landed on opposite sides of the planet in the summer of 2003, also using
airbag technology (NASA 1). They both were the size of golf carts and outlasted their scheduled
missions many times over.
Curiosity landed in August 2012 and is the largest and most ambitious rover. The size and
mass of a Mini Cooper, it survived a complex soft landing (Gibson 289). Curiosity also supports
the most complex science, containing drills, lasers, and a small analytical laboratory.
Curiosity can communicate with Earth in three ways. First, Curiosity can engage in direct
communication from the rover to Earths Deep Space Network. Second, Curiosity can use a fast
relay via the orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft. Finally, Curiosity can utilize a slow relay to
communicate via the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The scientific missions have focused on whether Mars once harbored flowing water.
Specifically, the science studies Martian geology to determine how the rocks and soils formed
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(Jones 46-47). Based on how they form on Earth, many Martian discoveries appear to have
followed a similar path, such as a long exposure to water or geology formed by intense heat and
water.
NASA has engaged in a few popular public relations efforts with the rover missions1. One
has been to invite students to name its rovers by submitting a short essay. Each naming invitation
generates over 10,000 entries. Recent winners are listed below.

Sojourner, submitted by a 12-year-old boy

Spirit and Opportunity, submitted by a 9-year-old girl

Curiosity, submitted by a 12-year-old girl

The winner was also invited to see the launch.

1 Some rovers even have Twitter accounts to engage the public.

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Works Cited
Gibson, Susan. "From Sujourner to Curiosity: A Brief History of Mars Spacecraft."
Mars Science Laboratory (2015): 277-295. Print.
Jones, Tyson. The Geology of Mars: A World of Wonder. Boston: Cengage Learning,
2014. Print.
NASA. Chronology of Mars Exploration. n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.

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