Mars has an average distance from the Sun of 142 million miles and a diameter of 4,220 miles, with a year lasting 687 Earth days. The planet has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, and is home to Olympus Mons, the solar system's largest volcano. Mars exploration continues with active rovers and landers operated by NASA and the China National Space Administration, focused on studying its geology, atmosphere, and potential for human colonization.

3. Facts Mars Earth
Average Distance
from Sun
142 million miles 93 million miles
Average Speed in
Orbiting Sun
14.5 miles/ second 18.5 miles/second
Diameter 4,220 miles 7,926 miles
Tilt of Axis 25 degrees 23.5 degrees
Length of Year 687 Earth Days 365.25 Days
Length of Day 24 hours 37
minutes
23 hours 56 min
Gravity .375 that of Earth 2.66 x that of Mars
Temperature
(average)
-81 degrees F 57 degrees F
Moons 2 1

4. The two moons of Mars are Phobos
and Deimos. They are irregular in
shape. Both were discovered by
American astronomer Asaph Hall in
August 1877.
Compared to the Earth's Moon, the
moons Phobos and Deimos are small.
Phobos has a diameter of 22.2 km
(13.8 mi) and Deimos12.6 km
(7.8 mi) while diameter of earth’s
moon is 3,474.8 km (2,159.2 mi)

5.  Solar system’s largest volcano. It’s called Olympus Mons
 27 km high (17 miles), it is roughly three times the height of Mount Everest.
 6 km cliffs at the base (3.7 mile high)

6. The internal structure of Mars is
similar to that of Earth. It has three
layers: going inwards from the
outside, there is a relatively thin rocky
crust, a molten mantle and finally a
solid metal core.
The Elements of layers:
• Crust: Silicon, Oxygen, iron,
magnesium, aluminum, calcium, Majorite
and potassium.
• Mantle: Silicate group Minerals such as
Olivine, Pyroxene, garnet, amphibole etc.
• Core: iron, nickel and Sulfur.

8.  As ofMay2021,therehavebeen six successfulroboticallyoperated
Marsrovers,
1. Sojourner(1997) - NASA
2. Opportunity(2004) -NASA
3. Spirit(2004) -NASA
4. Curiosity(2012) - NASA
5. Perseverance(2021) - NASA
6. Zhurong(2021) - ChinaNationalSpaceAdministration
Spirit
Opportunity

9. Curiosityof the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission by NASA. It
landed onAugust 6,2012.
Perseverance, NASArover based on the successful Curiositydesign. It landed on February
18, 2021.
Zhuronglaunchedwith the Tianwen-1CNSAMars mission on July23, 2020,
landed onMay 14,2021
 A Mars rover is a motor vehicle that travels across the
surface of the planet Mars upon arrival. Therearethree
active roveron Mars at present.

10.  It is also robotic system. As of 2021, 21 lander missions and 8 sub-landers (Rovers and Penetrators) attempted to land on Mars. Of 21
landers, only InSight Mars Lander and Tianwen-1 is currently in operation on Mars.
 The Objectives landers are,
 Study the geological structure of Mars and that structure's historical evolution.
 Study the characteristics of both the surface and underground layers of Martian soil
 Study the composition and type of rocks on the Martian surface.
 Study the ionosphere, the climate, the seasons, and more generally the atmosphere of Mars, both in its near-space environment and on its surface.
 Study the internal structure of Mars, its magnetic field, the history of its geological evolution, the internal distribution of its mass, and its gravitational field.
 Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) is operatedby
NASA.
 It is landedon 26 November2018
 Tianwen-1 is an interplanetary mission by the China National Space
Administration (CNSA)
 It is landed on 14 May 2021

11.  Of all the planets Mars is by far the most habitable for humans, but there are still significant barriers to
overcome before Mars can be colonized.
 Although plants and organisms on Earth have been able to survive in the harshest conditions on Earth,
they probably could not survive on Mars. If humans are able to colonize Mars it would provide an outlet
or option to extend human life even if Earth no longer existed or was uninhabitable.
 The most necessary equipment needed is that which will keep humans alive while living there. This
equipment will include production equipment which will be able to produce food, water, energy, and
oxygen. They will also need equipment for general habitation and protection from the harsh elements of
Mars.

12. Mining of Mars Mining in the Asteroid Belt

13. Deep Drilling Landers
Sample Return Missions