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This material was developed for the Live From Mars project
by Passport to Knowledge. Live
From Mars was a precursor to Mars Team Online.
NASA Mission Objectives
NASA defines its science and engineering objectives for the two 1996 Mars
missions as follows:
Mars Global Surveyer
- to enhance the global understanding of the geology and climate of
Mars by characterizing the planet's surface and geological processes...monitoring
global weather and the thermal structure of the atmosphere...monitoring
surface features, polar caps, polar energy balance, atmospheric dust,
and clouds over a seasonal cycle.
- provide multiple years of in-orbit communications relay capability
for Mars lander and atmospheric vehicles from any nation interested
in participating in international Mars exploration, and
- support planning for future missions with measurements that could
impact landing site selection.
Surveyor's instruments include the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), the Mars Orbiter
Laser Altimeter (MOLA), Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), as well as
a magnetometer, electron reflectometer, a radio relay for the Russian and
other Mars missions, and a radio science experiment. Adapted from the Mars
Global Surveyor fact sheet co-packaged with this Guide, and available on-line
at:
http://mgs-www.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs-home.html
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder's mission is described as: "...primarily an engineering
demonstration of key technologies and concepts for eventual use in future
missions to Mars employing scientific landers. Pathfinder also delivers
science instruments to the surface of Mars to investigate the structure
of the Martian atmosphere, surface meteorology, surface geology, form, structure
and elemental composition of Martian rocks and soil. In addition a free-ranging
surface rover is deployed to conduct technology experiments and to serve
as an instrument deploying mechanism."
Pathfinder's key science instruments are the atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology
Experiment (ASI/MET), the Imager for Mars Pathfinder, or IMP, (both aboard
the lander) and an Alpha-Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the Sojourner
rover. Adapted from the Mars Pathfinder "A New Trail to the Red Planet"
co-packaged with this Guide, and available on-line at:
http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov
Passport to Knowledge goals for Live From Mars
- to provide students with an engaging, informative learning experience
as they "travel" to Mars--via interactive TV and the Internet--alongside
NASA's spacecraft
- to provide teachers with and easy-to-use suite of integrated multimedia
"tools" with which to bring the science and engineering of the Mars
missions to life for students
- to provide teachers with materials and learning experiences which
embody the National Science Standards, and show science as inquiry,
personal and social perspective, and in the context of the history of
earth and space science
- to present the wide range of interdisciplinary skills and diverse
careers required to support cutting-edge science
- to connect students at nation-wide sites directly with NASA and other
researchers, who will provide first-person perspectives on up-to-date
science content
- to provide interactive and collaborative opportunities which motivate
students to function as active scientific thinkers, and which validate
their participation
- to document significant student outcomes facilitated by Live From
Mars
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