Today is Monday,June 8th, 2015

Pre-Class:Big-time rockets got their start in WWII, doing what?

Also you need a small paper towel for you/your partner.

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/sputnik-1-launch-ria-novosti.jpg The launch of Sputnik I.

In This Lesson:Unit 5

Unmanned Spaceflight

(Lesson 1 of 2)

Today’s Agenda

• The early days of the space program.• The Space Race.– Soviets vs. Americans!

• Unmanned spacecraft.– Not necessarily “undogged” or “unaped,” though.

• Current and past missions all over the place.

• Where is this in my book?– Erm…nowhere?

By the end of this lesson…

• You should be able to narrate a brief history of the space programs in the United States, Soviet Union, and Germany.

• You should be able to identify unmanned space programs that have explored other planets and our own.

The Big Disclaimer

• Humanity has made a lot of progress in what has been a very brief entry into the space age.– Think about it – we finally got to space in the 1940s and not

even 100 years later we’ve got stuff leaving the solar system.• This is a summary of some of the most notable

advances and missions, but certainly is far from a complete record – impossible to do here.

• The most important missions – the ones you need to know for a quiz – will be summarized on your Unmanned Spaceflight Guided Notes sheet.

Spaceflight’s Infancy

• It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the space age really began.– You could make a case it was with Sputnik I in

1957.– You could make a case it was with the Wright

Brothers in 1903.– You might even cite the first rockets, launched in

the 13th century.• We’ll start with a rather humble beginning in

Auburn, Massachusetts, in 1926.

Spaceflight’s Infancy• On March 16, 1926, Robert Goddard

launched the first liquid-fueled rocket.– Previous rockets had used gunpowder as fuel.– His went 41 feet up, lasting two seconds.

• Soon, he amassed 214 patents and is now considered the father of modern rocketry.– He also was the first to convincingly content

that rockets could function in vacuums, like space.

– The Goddard Space Flight Center in MD is named for him.• Rocket Experiments by Dr. Robert H Goddard

1926-1945 videohttp://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/f_goddard.htmlhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Dr._Robert_H._Goddard_-_GPN-2002-000131.jpg

http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sfigs/SGoddard.jpg

Theodore von Kármán

• Von Kármán was Hungarian-born but German-raised but emigrated to the U.S. in 1930 as Nazism was on the rise.

• Like Goddard, he too worked with liquid-fueled rockets.

• His test area in Pasadena, CA, soon became the grounds of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/w/wvonkarm.jpg

Meanwhile, somewhere in the USSR…

• Goddard’s Soviet counterpart was Valentin Glushko, who fired the first liquid-fueled rocket in the USSR in the 1930s.

• He would go on to be the principal rocket designer for the Soviet space program, working with Sergei Korolev as the two drivers behind the Soviet “team.”

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/200px-Glushko_Valentin_Petrovich.jpg

Sergei Korolev

• Sergei Korolev headed the Soviet space program and is responsible for most of the designs used even today by the Russians.

• Notably, he improved on the original designs of the German V2 missile to ultimately make Soviet rockets.– And speaking of Germans with V2s…

https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/space-race/online/sec300img/322l1p1.jpg

Wernher von Braun• Wernher von Braun was a German

(read: Nazi) rocket scientist, responsible for developing the V2 ballistic missile.– The V1 (flying bomb) and V2 were

launched toward England toward the end of World War II.

• He and 500 of his scientists surrendered to the Americans.– To avoid these scientists taking their

knowledge to the Soviet Union, the United States welcomed them through Operation Paperclip.• Yep, naturally the “scientist rescue” mission

gets a dorky name.http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/bio.htmlhttp://beforeitsnews.com/contributor/upload/30080/images/op.png

The V2 Missile• The V2 missile was the world’s

first long-range guided missile.• After von Braun’s surrender,

he/the U.S. began test-launching V2 rockets in New Mexico.– …and Germany’s space program

ended.– Later, von Braun would develop

the Redstone and Jupiter missiles in Alabama.• V2 Missiles video• V2 Missile Failures video http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/

2014/09/10/1410356401917_wps_1_V2_rocket.jpg

The First Photo From Space

• From those test launches came the first photo taken from space, aboard a U.S.-launched V2 rocket in 1946:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/First_photo_from_space.jpg

Animals in Space

• With the ultimate goal of human spaceflight, the United States and USSR soon began launching animals into space.

• To date, nations of the world have sent a lot of animals into space and have recovered some:– Dogs and cats– Monkeys and apes [Iran

Space Monkey video]– Rabbits– Insects and insect eggs– Fish

– Frogs– Mice, rats, and guinea pigs– Newts– Shrimp– Spiders– Nematodes

Getting Into Space

• Keep one thing in mind here:– There’s getting into space, and then there’s getting

into orbit.• It’s easier to get into space.

• On February 20, 1947, the U.S. launched the first living creatures into space: fruit flies, aboard a V2 rocket.– Their capsule was ejected and they were

recovered alive.

Albert I

• The next animal to be launched toward space was Albert I, a rhesus monkey (there were four Alberts launched; all but one was a rhesus monkey).– Albert died of suffocation during the mission – he

never quite made it to space.• Alberts II, III, and IV were also all lost.– Albert II died on impact after a parachute failure.

• Albert II was the first monkey to reach space.

– Albert III died when the V2 exploded at 35,000 ft.– Albert IV died on impact after a parachute failure.

Other U.S. Early Launches

• The U.S. went on to launch a few other animals to space in the late 1940s and early 1950s:– A monkey named Yorick was the first to survive

the flight in September, 1951, along with 11 mice.– Two monkeys named Patricia and Mike were

launched along with two mice (Mildred and Albert) – they also survived.

• Meanwhile, somewhere in the USSR…

Early USSR Launches

• The Soviet Union began launching animals too:– Mice, rats, and rabbits were launched on one-way

trips in the early 1950s.– Nine dogs were launched between 1951 and 1952:• Of the twelve dogs to fly (counting three of them twice),

at least four did not return alive.

• And then…Sputnik happened.– Remember what I said about getting into space

versus getting into orbit?

Sputnik 1

• Back on April 15, 1955, President Eisenhower stated that the U.S. would be launching the satellite.– Soon after, the Soviets announced the same thing.

• In the U.S., the political climate prohibited von Braun from using military-grade missiles for a peaceful mission, so he had to work with Project Vanguard.– Project Vanguard was the U.S. Navy’s attempt at a

launch vehicle in lieu of von Braun’s Project Orbiter.

Sputnik 1

• In the Soviet Union, there was no such limit for Korolev.– He used the most powerful rocket available and

formally began the space age when Sputnik 1 orbited Earth on October 4, 1957 (and lasted three months in orbit).

– The sounds of Sputnik: Sputnik Telemetry

Sputnik 1 and Vanguard

• The USSR scored the first victory of the space race, while the U.S. suddenly looked militarily weak.

• On November 3, 1957, the even-heavier Sputnik 2 was launched (more on the next slide), and the U.S. was very quickly losing ground.

• On December 6, 1957, the U.S. finally launched their first rocket, Vanguard TV3 (test vehicle 3).– Here’s what happened… (video)

• It wasn’t until January 31, 1958, that the U.S. used a Juno I rocket to launch Explorer 1, our first satellite.– Its batteries died May 23, but it orbited until March 31, 1970.

Laika and Sputnik 2• Laika became the first animal to reach Earth’s

orbit on November 3, 1957.– It was a one-way trip by design.

• Sputnik 2 remained in orbit for five months and 2570 orbits until disintegrating during reentry.– Initially, Soviet authorities reported she had lived

for about a week before being euthanized through poisoned food.

– In 2002, documents revealed she had died only hours into flight due to stress and overheating.• Said a scientist of the program in 1998: “We did not

learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog.”

• In reference to taking her home to play with children before launch: “I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live.”

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Laika.jpg

Laika

http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/images/2008/04/11/laika.jpghttp://www.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/5A44716E-75DB-4DE7-B6677FF1827D462D.jpg

Sputnik and Worldwide Panik

• As we’ve discussed before, the launch of Sputnik caused worldwide (though mostly U.S.) panic:– Movietone Sputnik Newsreel• Fox News now owns all Movietone newsreels, hence

the logo.

– Sputnik 2 Panic• Watch VP Nixon get verbally wrecked by Khrushchev in

1959.• Note that the moving images of the dog are not of Laika

but of Belka (more in a second).

Belka and Strelka

• Belka and Strelka spent a day in orbit and returned alive in August, 1960 as part of the Korabl-Sputnik 3 mission (AKA Sputnik 6 to the West).– They were accompanied by 42

mice, 2 rats, flies, plants, and fungi – all survived.

• A puppy of Strelka was given to President Kennedy’s daughter.

http://www.cold-war-sputnik-soviet-space-dog-laika.com/sitebuilder/images/Belka_Strelka_TV_from_orbit_aug22-1960-698x497.jpghttp://images.csmonitor.com/csmarchives/2010/08/0820-soviet-space-dogs.jpg?alias=standard_600x400

Belka (left) and Strelka (right) – images were sent back from

their capsule (below).

Belka and Strelka

http://sputniknews.com/

Other Primates in Space

• The U.S. went on to launch a bunch of mice and then starting including primates.

• Notable simi-astronauts include:– Gordo (squirrel monkey)

• Died on splashdown in late 1958.

– Able and Baker (rhesus and squirrel monkeys, respectively)• Survived.

– Sam (rhesus monkey)• Survived a mid-air mission abort at

3685 mph.http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/4_monkeys.jpg

Gordo Able and Baker

SamBaker

Other Primates in Space

• Chimpanzees were also launched:– Ham (first chimp in space)• Reached space January 31, 1961.

– Enos (first chimp in orbit)• Reached orbit November 29, 1961.

• Maybe now is a good time to mention that, technically, microbes like bacteria were the first to reach space.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Chimpanzee_Enos_before_the_flight_of_Mercury-Atlas_5.jpgEnoshttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Ham_the_chimp_%28cropped%29.jpg

Ham

Discoveries from Animals in Space

• The earliest animal spaceflights were designed to see if they could simply survive up there and through the launch process.

• The use of animals then changed to research other topics:– Mice were used to study circadian rhythms.• Mice adapt quickly and eat/groom normally, despite floating

around.

– Fish and tadpoles swim in loops without gravity.– Mammals have trouble nursing.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/F_Animals_in_Space_9-12.html

Expl

orer

1Sputnik 3

Back to the Space Race

• The Soviets proceeded to launch Sputnik 3 on May 15, 1958, which measured some of the same things Explorer 1 did.– Van Allen Belts (of radiation), the composition of

the atmosphere…• Thing is, Sputnik 3 was a rather impressive

looking satellite compared to Explorer 1.

space.skyrocket.de/img_sat/sputnik-3__1.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Explorer1.jpg

Back to the Space Race

• Current Score:– Soviets 2 (Sputniks 1 & 2)– Americans 0

The Luna ProgramNote: The first three missions are known as Lunik and were not officially announced.

• On January 2nd, 1959, the Soviets launched Lunik 1 directly at the Moon…and missed.– But, Lunik 1 was the first to enter heliocentric orbit.

• On September 12, 1959, Lunik 2 became the first man-made object to land on the Moon, albeit a crash landing.– Soviets 3 (Unmanned hard Moon landing)– Americans 0• This is getting embarrassing.

Luna 3• Luna 3, launched on October 4th, 1959, gave

humankind the first-ever view of the far side of the Moon in a total of nine images.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program#/media/File:Luna_3_moon.jpg

Soviets: 4Americans: 0

Aside: Lunokhod

• Luna spacecraft were later used – in 1970 and 1973 – to transport Lunokhod lunar rovers.– No other remote-controlled rover would land on

anything till the Mars Sojourner rover in 1997.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Lunokhod.jpg

(Pause for Humans in Space)

• As we’ll see next lesson, the Soviets also beat us to getting the first human into space.– Soviets 5– Americans 0

• And they beat us getting the first human into orbit.– Soviets 6– Americans 0

• And they later beat us to the first space walk.– Soviets 7– Americans 0

(Pause for Other Accomplishments)

• And they later beat us to sending the first spacecraft around the Moon and returning it safely.– Soviets 8– Americans 0

• Although, the Americans were (later) the first to send humans around the Moon.– Soviets 8– Americans 1 (whoo!)

Mariner• With the U.S. losing badly in the space

race, Mariner 1 was NASA’s attempt at being the first to Venus.– It went off course after liftoff and was

destroyed on purpose.• Mariner 2, launched on August 27,

1962, became the first to fly by Venus, discovering its lack of magnetic field and high temperatures (among other things).– Soviets 8– Americans 2

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Mariner_2_launch.jpg/200px-Mariner_2_launch.jpg

Mariner

• NASA kept the Mariner name for the first mission to Mars.

• Mariner 3’s batteries died due to a solar panel malfunction early in orbit.

• Mariner 4 was launched on November 28, 1964, becoming the first to fly by the planet on July 14, 1965.– Like Venus, Mars was also discovered to have no

significant magnetic field or atmosphere.– It also sent back the first close-up images of the Martian

surface.

First Photo of Mars

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA14032.jpg

Surveyor• The Americans launched Surveyor,

which was designed to make a soft landing on the Moon.– FYI, “hard landing” = crash; “soft landing” =

landing.• The Surveyor project started in 1961 but

Surveyor 1 wasn’t launched until May 30, 1966, landing 63 hours, 36 minutes, and 35 seconds later.– Proving it wasn’t made of dust so deep it

would bury a spacecraft.• Or cheese so delicious the astronauts wouldn’t

want to leave.

• There’s just one…thing…http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/spacecraft/surveyor_beach.jpg

Luna 9• The Soviets beat the

Americans to a soft landing on the Moon by 4 months.– Whomp whomp.

• Luna 9 landed on the surface on February 3, 1966, sending back the first images ever taken from the surface of the Moon.– Soviets 9– Americans 2http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/space_missions/luna_9

First Photo from the Moon

https://lightsinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/luna9_close.jpg?w=600&h=418

Manned/Unmanned Moon Landings

Lunar Orbiter

• To prepare potential landing sites for manned missions, NASA launched the Lunar Orbiter series (all 5 of them) between August 10, 1966, and August 1, 1967.– Each one took photos of the lunar

surface but were all deliberately crashed onto the surface to prevent interference with future missions.

http://images.spaceref.com/news/loirp/3073_M.jpg

Lunar Orbiter 3’s view of the surface.

(Pause for Moon Landing)

Soviets: 9Americans: 3 (Yeah! We won the space race! Go ‘murica!)

Venera and Vega

• Over a very long period (but starting with some unsuccessful launches in 1961), the Soviets launched a series of missions to Venus.– Venera was an active program between 1961 and

1983, ultimately sending the first photos from Venus’s surface in 1975.

– Vega was part of a mission to both Venus and Halley’s Comet and released weather balloons into Venus’s atmosphere in 1985.

First Photo from Venus

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/First_Venus.jpg

Pioneer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_1#/media/File:Pioneer_I_on_the_Launch_Pad_-_GPN-2002-000204.jpg

Pioneer 1 set to launch on October

11, 1958.

• The Pioneer program actually started in 1958 with Thor-Able 1 (now called Pioneer 0), intended to orbit the Moon with cameras.

• It exploded 73.6 seconds into launch. Other Pioneers didn’t fare so well either:– Thor-Able 2 (Pioneer 1) was the first

spacecraft launched by NASA, but it didn’t achieve escape velocity to the Moon.

Pioneer

• Thor-Able 3 (Pioneer 2) failed to escape Earth.• Pioneer P-1 also failed.• Pioneer P-3 also failed.• Pioneer 5 (Pioneer P-2) was successful (long-

range communication was proven possible).• Pioneer P-30 also failed.• Pioneer P-31 also failed.

Pioneer

• Pioneer 6 through 8 are technically still active and are orbiting the Sun.– They’re also known as Pioneer A through C.– Pioneer E failed during launch.

• When I say “technically,” I really mean, “NASA last contacted Pioneer 6 on December 8, 2000.”– Pioneer 7 and 8 were last contacted in 1995 and

1996, respectively, and Pioneer 9 (D) failed in 1983.• And then there are Pioneer 10 and 11.

Pioneer• Launched on March 2, 1972, and April 5,

1973, respectively, Pioneer 10 and 11 are arguably the first two deep space probes.– Followed by Voyager 1 and 2.– They each had a plaque showing figures of

humans in case they were ever “found.”• Pioneer 10 was the first to reach Jupiter,

Saturn, and the first to leave the solar system (on June 13, 1983).– Pioneer 11 followed about a year later.

• Pioneer 10 went inactive in 2003; 11 in 1995.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/pioneer10-01b.htmlhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Pioneer_F_Plaque_Symbology_-_GPN-2000-001623.jpg

Pioneer

• Pioneer 12 and 13 were Venus orbiters.– Also known as Pioneer Venus 1 and 2.

• Pioneer Venus 1 mapped the surface with radar and found a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon and a mountain higher than Mt. Everest.– And found that the atmosphere is partially sulfuric

acid.• Pioneer Venus 2 released three probes that

landed on the surface much like Venera.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?Sort=Alpha&Letter=P&Alias=Pioneer%2012

Mariner 10

• The Mariner program continued:– Mariner 5 went to Venus.– Mariner 6 and 7 went to Mars and are now orbiting the

Sun.– Mariner 8 went to the Atlantic Ocean (oops).– Mariner 9 orbited Mars and is still there (till ~2022).

• Mariner 10 was launched on November 3, 1973, and visited Venus and Mercury, mapping parts of their surfaces.– It’s currently orbiting the Sun.

First Image of Venus

http://www.universetoday.com/109035/mariner-10-best-venus-image-and-1st-ever-planetary-gravity-assist-40-years-ago-today/

First Image of MercuryPhotomosaic

http://www.universetoday.com/109035/mariner-10-best-venus-image-and-1st-ever-planetary-gravity-assist-40-years-ago-today/

Viking

• Viking 1 and 2 were orbiters and probes that landed on Mars, launched only a few weeks apart on August 20 and September 9, 1975.– Viking 1 was the first ever to achieve a soft landing

on Mars and actually send back data.• The Soviets beat NASA to Mars with Mars 3, but it

never sent back data.

– The Viking probes sent back some of the first on-site data about the composition of the Red Planet.

First Photos from Mars

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Mars_Viking_12a001.pnghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Mars_Viking_12a002.png

Voyager

• Voyager 1 and 2 actually started as Mariner 11 and 12 before plans changed.

• They were launched on August 20 and September 5, 1977, respectively.– Yep, Voyager 2 went first, but Voyager 1 passed it on the

trip.– The planets aligned in such a way that a deep space probe

would be at an advantage.– Despite Pioneer 10 and 11 being launched five years

earlier, both Voyagers have passed them.• Yay gravity assists.

Voyager

• Both Voyagers visited Jupiter and Saturn.• From there:– Voyager 1 visited Saturn’s moon Titan and then left the

solar system.– Voyager 2 visited Uranus and Neptune and then also

left the solar system.• Voyager 1 is now the farthest man-made object

from Earth, currently at over 12 billion miles from the Sun (well over 100 au).

• Where is Voyager?– http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/where/

Voyager’s Cargo

• Both probes carry a famous golden record of sounds and images from Earth as they leave the solar system in different directions.– It’s a 12 inch gold-plated

copper disk with a needle and instructions for playing.

• Imagine trying to decide what goes on that kind of a compilation.– One heck of a mixtape.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/The_Sounds_of_Earth_Record_Cover_-_GPN-2000-001978.jpg

Wanna see/hear what’s on it?

Galileo• Remember Galileo?

– The spacecraft that was deliberately crashed into Jupiter to avoid a possible accidental crash-landing on and contamination of Europa?

• The probe was launched on October 18, 1989, and was deorbited on September 21, 2003.– In between, it observed asteroids (and an asteroid with a moon), a

comet hitting Jupiter (Shoemaker-Levy 9), and the moons of Jupiter.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/The_Galilean_satellites_%28the_four_largest_moons_of_Jupiter%29.tif

Pathfinder• Pathfinder delivered a rover about the size of a

wagon – called Sojourner – to Mars on July 4, 1997.– Sojourner lasted until September 27, 1997.

http://mars.nasa.gov/MPF/ops/80839_full.jpg

Pathfinder

• You can also still buy the Hot Wheels version on eBay:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTMxM1gxMTkz/z/QHcAAMXQDnpTZ9rU/$_35.JPG

Cassini-Huygens• We’ve seen the pictures from

Cassini-Huygens, which explored Saturn and its moons.– The satellite is Cassini; the lander

is Huygens.• Huygens managed to land on

Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, and send back data/images, which we’ve seen before.

• The probe is currently still in operation.

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/Portaldata/1/Resources/Bilder/missionen/cassini/16_9/artikel_titan6.jpg

Cassini-Huygens

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/PIA17171_full.jpg

Earth

Cassini-HuygensSaturn’s Moon Rhea in front of the planet

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Rhea_in_front_of_Saturn.jpg

Cassini-HuygensMapping of Titan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PIA02146.gif

Cassini-HuygensTitan with and without image processing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini–Huygens

Cassini-HuygensIo passes in front of Jupiter

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/PIA02879_-_A_New_Year_for_Jupiter_and_Io.jpg

Cassini-HuygensThe Great White Spot – a storm every 30 years on Saturn

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Saturn_Storm.jpg

Spirit and Opportunity

• Launched in 2003, twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on opposite sides of Mars in 2004 as part of the Mars Exploration Rover mission.– It was quite a feat: How to Get to

Mars video.• Opportunity continues to operate

but Spirit went out of contact in 2010.– They were designed to last three

months, but Opportunity continues the original mission: look for signs of water.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Spirit_rover_tracks.jpg

Tracks from Spirit

MESSENGERMercury Surface Space Environment Geochemistry and Ranging

• MESSENGER was launched on August 3, 2004, and did by far the most mapping of Mercury of any satellite…– …before it was crashed into

the planet in April 2015.• MESSENGER found that

Mercury’s core is 85% of its radius.– MESSENGER Probe video

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESSENGER#/media/File:MESSENGER_-_spacecraft_at_mercury_-_atmercury_lg.jpg

MESSENGERImage from Mercury

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/MESSENGER_-_CN0162744010M_RA_3_web.png

New Horizons

• Launched in 2006, New Horizons is the first satellite expected to get close-up images of Pluto.– That should happen in July 2015.

• It will then continue to the Kuiper Belt.• [images pending]

Deep Space Probes’ Locations

To center of galaxy

To center of galaxy

Phoenix• Phoenix was a Mars lander, located near Mars’

icy north pole, launched on August 4, 2007.• Even though it couldn’t move, it could dig 20

inches into the soil and send back an analysis.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/phoenix/collection_16/phx17062-browse.jpg

Phoenix

• It also discovered a rather curious anomaly:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/off-topic-misc-/nasa-jpl-phoenix-mars-lander-13362.html

Mars Science Laboratory

• You might better know this mission as the Curiosity rover, launched November 26, 2011.

• Unlike the previous rovers, Curiosity is big.– It’s around the size of a car.– Challenges of Getting to Mars – Curiosity’s Seven

Minutes of Terror video• This one’s been sending back some mighty

impressive images in its quest to see if Mars can possibly be habitable for microbes.

Rover Size Comparison

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/science/EvolutionofRovers.jpg

Images from Curiosity

http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/images/mars-diverse-terrain-mount-sharp-msl-curiosity-rover-PIA19397.jpg

Images from Curiosity

http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/images/mars-curiosity-rover-msl-weather-station-tools-PIA19164-br2.jpg

Images from Curiosity

http://i.stack.imgur.com/pJJJq.jpg

Images from Curiosity

http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/images/Curiosity-Rover-Portrait-Mars-Mojave-Selfie-pia19142-MALHI-br2.jpg

Closure

• Now onto the manned missions.• Some interesting closure videos:– Space Balloon– CB East Space Balloon– Space Jump [Red Bull Stratos]– LightSail