Paper
A background to Mars exploration and research
Published Jan 1, 2011 · Sanjeev Gupta, A. Bargery, M. Balme
7
Citations
1
Influential Citations
Abstract
Abstract Mars is the fourth planet in our Solar System and orbits roughly 230×106 km from the Sun. It has an orbital period of 687 Earth days and a solar day that is approximately 40 min longer than an Earth day. Mars is less dense and has half the radius of the Earth, and so has about one-tenth the mass; hence, the surface gravity of Mars is about four-tenths that of the Earth. Mars has no oceans and its surface area is therefore almost as large as that of Earth's continents. In this chapter, we present a summary of the Martian environment, global geography and geology, and provide some background on the missions and instruments that have played a role in developing our current understanding. Our aim is to provide a broad overview for those unfamiliar with Mars, rather than providing an exhaustive summary of every aspect of the planet's evolution.
Mars has a surface gravity of four-tenths that of Earth, no oceans, and a global geography and geology similar to Earth's continents.
Full text analysis coming soon...