Bring me to Mars
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MARS
A Long March-5 Y4 carrier rocket liftes off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, July 23, 2020.
The probe of Tianwen-1, the name of China’s Mars mission, will fly in the Earth-Mars transfer orbit for about seven months before reaching Mars. After being captured by Mars, it will enter an orbit around Mars, and choose the opportunity to carry out missions such as landing and patrol for scientific exploration.
The scientific objectives of the first Mars exploration mission are mainly to study the morphology and geological structure of Mars, soil characteristics and water ice distribution on its surface, the composition of the surface material, the ionosphere of Mars’ atmosphere and surface climate and environmental characteristics, physical field and internal structure.
The Mars exploration mission was established in January 2016. Many research institutions across the country, including universities in Hong Kong and Macao, actively participated in the development process. China has also conducted a number of cooperation projects with the European Space Agency, France, Austria, Argentina and other countries and organizations.
01
Why go to Mars?
Mars is an obvious target for exploration because it is close by in our Solar System, but there are many more reasons to explore the Red Planet. The scientific reasons for going to Mars can be summarised by the search for life, understanding the surface and the planet’s evolution, and preparing for future human exploration.
The reasons for sending humans to Mars fall within the following categories:
Discovery and Scientific Knowledge:
Mars is the most scientifically interesting location in our solar system that humans can reach in the foreseeable future. Although robotic exploration of Mars over the past 50 plus years has provided us with a wealth of information and incredible discoveries, most experts agree that it will probably take human explorers to determine whether there ever was or even still is life on Mars and to conduct many other scientific investigations that are not possible with robots alone.
Inspiration and Innovation:
Space exploration is widely recognized to be one of the most effective ways to inspire students to become interested in STEM education and it is a well-known driver of technology and innovation. Returning to the Moon after 50 years is unlikely to require major advancements in technology. In contrast, an ambitious mission to the next frontier of Mars will inspire new generations of engineers, scientists, physicians, innovators, educators, and industrialists to reach for the stars.
Prosperity and National Morale:
Apart from national prestige, morale is essential for a nation’s growth and prosperity. U.S. led missions to Mars would not only make a bold and unequivocal statement that we are still capable of great things – perhaps the greatest achievement in human history – but it would also dramatically improve our national outlook and economy. Building on lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS), commercial partners are anticipated to have a major and innovative role in the exploration of Mars. This involvement will be the underpinning of new and incredibly promising industries for the next century.
Security and Diplomacy:
While Mars missions will not be run by the military, many of the capabilities required to achieve these missions have potential security applications. In addition, an ambitious and strong space program can be one of our most effective diplomatic tools, as people around the world look at our space program with awe and appreciation.
Advancement and Expansion of Humanity:
Can humans establish a permanent presence on another planet? Mars offers the potential for self-sufficiency that simply is not possible anywhere else in the solar system with our current levels of technology. Mars has water, an atmosphere, and other resources that should allow us to live off the land. But, we won’t know if a permanent presence is possible until we try.
To Understand Earth:
Mars is the planet in our solar system that is most similar to Earth. Mars used to be a warm and wet planet like Earth, when Mars had a much thicker atmosphere than it does today. What happened – and could the same thing happen on Earth? Our analysis of what could happen to the Earth cannot be based on just one data point – that of the Earth. It is imperative to understand the evolutions of other planets, particularly planets like Earth so that we can wisely take care of our home.
Searching for life on Mars
Understanding whether life existed elsewhere in the Universe beyond Earth is a fundamental question of humankind. Mars is an excellent place to investigate this question because it is the most similar planet to Earth in the Solar System. Evidence suggests that Mars was once full of water, warmer and had a thicker atmosphere, offering a potentially habitable environment.
Understanding the surface of Mars
and its evolution
While life arose and evolved on Earth, Mars experienced serious climate change. Planetary geologists can study rocks, sediments and soils for clues to uncover the history of the surface. Scientists are interested in the history of water on Mars to understand how life could have survived. Volcanoes, craters from meteoroid impacts, signs of atmospheric or photochemical effects and geophysical processes all carry aspects of Mars’ history.
Samples of the atmosphere could reveal crucial details on its formation and evolution, and also why Mars has less atmosphere than Earth.
Mars can also help us to learn more about our home. Understanding martian geophysical processes promises to uncover details of the evolution and history of Earth and other planets in our Solar System.
记者：长谣监制：李璨
责任编辑：戴晨
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