1) When will you return a sample of Mars to the Earth?
Right now, NASA is planning on sending a sample return mission
to Mars around 2015. The samples themselves will not get back to Earth
until several years after that for analysis.
2) Can the RAT drill into any rock? Is there a rock that would break the RAT?
The RAT is designed to cut through a wide range of rocks from soft materials like
chalk to something very hard like basalt. This wide range of rock types covers
what we expect to see on Mars, so we are able to cut into anything we
encounter. The RAT is actually very smart in terms of protecting itself. If it
detects that it is having a very difficult time cutting through a rock, it will
slow the cutting process or stop it entirely.
3) Will other missions to Mars carry a RAT?
There will most likely be some kind of cutting tool like the RAT on the
next rover mission to Mars, which will be taking place in 2009.
4) How much energy does the RAT use to drill into a rock?
The RAT consumes very little power when it is cutting into a rock. It is designed
to cut very slowly for up to four hours. The slow cutting speed means that the
power used by the RAT is less than 10 Watts, which is less power than you need to
light most household light bulbs! So for a fraction of the power needed to light
up a single light bulb, the RAT can cut a hole in a rock.
5) How many batteries do the rovers have? What kind of batteries are they?
Each rover has two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are similar to those used in small electronic devices like cell phones, however they are much
larger and can produce more power. The solar panels on the rover powers the
spacecraft during the day, and also charges the battery. At night, the batteries
power the rover during any night time operations.
6) What would you eat if you went to Mars?
Food would most likely be very similar to what the astronauts eat in space today,
which is very much like the freeze-dried food you take with you to go camping.
This food can be stored for many years, and usually only needs a little water and
heat to prepare.
7) Can the rovers pick up a rock? Will future rovers be able to?
Right now, the Mars rovers are not designed to be able to pick rocks up. The only
way they can effect the rocks around them is by driving over them, or cutting into
them with the RAT. Future rovers
may be able to pick up very small rocks, pebbles and soil so that they can
analyze them with special instruments.
8) What will be some of the first things astronauts do when they land on Mars?
When astronauts eventually land on Mars, one of the first things they will
need to do is make sure that they can get home! They will have to check to make
sure that their spacecraft is in good shape to eventually return them to Earth
when their mission is over. After that, they will be able to perform any science
experiments on the area around the landing site.
9) How long will a person be able to live on Mars?
A person should be able to live on Mars for as long as there is food, water and
other supplies available. The first group of people that visit Mars will only have
the supplies that they took with them, and will most likely have to come back to
Earth after a while. One day we may be able to grow food in greenhouses on Mars,
which would mean that a person could live their entire life on the red planet,
however we are a long way away from this.
10) If I am traveling from Earth to Mars, will I run into any meteors or anything like that?
If you were traveling to Mars from Earth, you would not run into any objects that
would put you in danger. There is an asteroid belt just beyond Mars, so if you
wanted to travel past Mars, you would need to steer clear of those.
11) How old are some of the Martian meteorites that have landed on Earth?
There is a large range of age between the Martian meteorites that have landed on
Earth. The youngest so far is 175 million years old, and the oldest is 4.4 billion
years old. Analyzing these rocks gives us clues as to the age of Mars itself.
12) Why do electronics on Mars have to be radiation hardened?
If you are traveling on an airplane, they usually make you turn off your cell
phone and other electronic equipment while flying, so that they don't interfere
with the airplanes electronics. Operating a spacecraft is a lot like that. When
the spacecraft is on its way to Mars, there are a lot of different types of
radiation from the sun that could interfere with the sensitive electronic
equipment. This equipment needs to be radiation hardened so that it can operate
normally without interference from solar radiation.
