56 Missions to Mars-Low

MISSIONS TO MARS FOCUS Question How can technology help us learn about Mars?

火星任务焦点问题技术如何帮助我们了解火星?

THE RED PLANET Mars is Earth's neighboring planet in space. This rocky planet circles, or orbits, the Sun between Earth and Jupiter. Mars is a cold world about half the size of Earth. It has two small moons. Mars looks red because the soil and rock contain the rusty mineral iron. Ever since people first noticed it in the night sky, we have been studying Mars. Doing so may help us understand how Earth and the rest of the solar system formed and whether there is life on Mars. COMPARING EARTH AND MARS Earth Mars distance from sun 93 million miles 142 million miles size (diameter) 7,926 miles 4,220 miles length of year 365.25 days 687 Earth days length of day 23 hours, 56 minutes 24 hours, 37 minutes gravity 2.66 times that of Mars 0.375 times that of Earth temperature average 57°F average 81°F number of moons 1 2

红色星球火星是地球在太空中的近邻。 这颗岩石行星在地球和木星之间围绕太阳运行。 火星是一个只有地球一半大小的寒冷星球。 它有两个小卫星。火星看起来是红色的，因为土壤和岩石含有生锈的矿物铁。 自从人们第一次在夜空中注意到它，我们就一直在研究火星。 这样做可以帮助我们了解地球和太阳系的其他部分是如何形成的，以及火星上是否有生命。 比较地球和火星地球离太阳的距离9300万英里1.42亿英里大小(直径)7926英里4220英里年长365.25天687地球日长23小时56分24小时37分钟重力是火星的2.66倍是地球的0.375倍温度平均57华氏度平均81华氏度月球数1 2

LIFE ON MARS? Mars doesn't seem to have life today, but it may have had life in the past. The chance of finding signs of life is a big reason we study Mars. Water is very important to living things. Scientists look for it on other planets. Billions of years ago, Mars was likely covered in oceans and flowing rivers. Now Mars is very cold and has mostly ice. But salty liquid water flows in some areas during the warmer season. We have learned much about Mars from building and flying spacecraft and probes. With each mission, we get a step closer to understanding the Red Planet.

火星上有生命吗?火星现在似乎没有生命，但过去可能有生命。 发现生命迹象的机会是我们研究火星的一个重要原因。 水对生物是非常重要的。 科学家们在其他行星上寻找它。 数十亿年前，火星可能被海洋和流动的河流所覆盖。 现在火星非常寒冷，大部分是冰。 但在温暖的季节，一些地区会有含盐的液态水流动。 通过建造和飞行宇宙飞船和探测器，我们对火星有了很多了解。 每一次任务，我们都离了解这颗红色星球更近了一步。

FLY... BYE! More than forty probes from different countries have flown by or landed on Mars. The first ones reached space atop rockets. The rockets put them into orbit around the Sun. Scientists used careful timing so each probe would fly by Mars. In 1965, Mariner 4 took the first photos of Mars from space. They showed many craters on the surface. In 1969, Mariner 6 and 7 sent back hundreds of photos. The two probes took close-up pictures of dark grooves. They looked like human-made "canals." Wowser! Martian "canals" are really dried-up riverbeds. They were not built by Martians!

飞……再见!来自不同国家的40多个探测器飞过或降落在火星上。 第一批人登上火箭进入太空。 火箭将它们送入围绕太阳的轨道。 科学家们使用了仔细的计时，以便每个探测器都能飞过火星。 1965年，水手4号从太空拍摄了第一张火星照片。 他们展示了月球表面的许多陨石坑。 1969年，水手6号和7号发回了数百张照片。 两个探测器拍摄了黑色凹槽的近距离照片。 它们看起来像人造的“运河”。 老古板!火星上的“运河”实际上是干涸的河床。 它们不是火星人建造的!

ROUND AND ROUND THEY GO The next probes did more than a flyby. They entered Mars's orbit for a closer, longer look. Mariner 9 mapped the entire surface in 1971. It saw many canyons, craters, and inactive volcanoes. Mariner 9 was the first to spot Mars's two moons. Mars Global Surveyor entered orbit in 1997. It found new signs of water on Mars. The surface has paths left by flowing water! Word Wise Just as a moon orbits a planet, so do orbiting probes. In fact, they are both called satellites. Moons are natural satellites. Probes are artificial, or human- made, satellites.

他们一圈又一圈地转着下一个探测器不仅仅是飞掠而已。 他们进入火星轨道进行更近、更长久的观察。 水手9号在1971年绘制了整个火星表面的地图。 它看到了许多峡谷、火山口和不活跃的火山。 水手9号是第一个发现火星两颗卫星的。 火星全球勘测者于1997年进入轨道。 它在火星上发现了新的水的迹象。 表面有流水留下的路径!就像月球绕行星运行一样，绕轨道运行的探测器也是如此。 事实上，它们都被称为卫星。 卫星是天然的卫星。 探测器是人造或人造的卫星。

TOUCHDOWN! Viking 1 and 2 made history by both landing on Mars in 1976. First, they entered orbit. Then they sent landers down to different parts of the planet. Protective shells kept them safe on touchdown. They then went to work taking photos and doing soil and air tests. Mars Pathfinder bounced onto the surface in 1997. It floated down on a parachute Airbags protected the craft during its landing. Inside was the first Mars rover. It cruised the surface and sampled soil and rocks Studying the rocks. taught us that Mars was once much warmer—and wetter. In fact, Mars Pathfinder had landed in the site of an ancient flood. Do You Know? Mars Pathfinder's airbags were made of special fabric that wouldn't tear when the lander hit the rocky surface.

触地得分!维京1号和2号都在1976年登陆火星，创造了历史。 首先，他们进入轨道。 然后他们向火星的不同地方发射着陆器。 保护壳使他们在着陆时安全。 然后他们开始拍照，并进行土壤和空气测试。 1997年，火星探路者号返回火星表面。 在着陆过程中，安全气囊保护着飞船。 里面是第一辆火星探测器。 它在火星表面巡视，取样土壤和岩石，研究岩石。 告诉我们火星曾经更温暖更湿润 事实上，火星探路者号在一次古代洪水的遗址着陆。 你知道吗?火星探路者的安全气囊由特殊织物制成，当着陆器撞击岩石表面时不会撕裂。