So, Spirit is rolling around on Mars. It’s another great time for Mars exploration enthusiasts, even ones as cold as I am here in New England. We were out riding around last night in our own planetary exploration vehicle, running errands and meeting friends for dinner, and for the Nth time, we realized that this little cold spell we’re having right now (temps down below zero F (-17 C)) and freezing winds would constitute a balmy day on Mars! How so? Well, the average temperature on Mars hovers around -81 F (-62 C). The past few days, we’ve seen temperatures in New England go as low as -50F including the wind chill (or about -45 C). So, on Mars, this would be like an warm winter or early spring day maybe…
Of course, Mars doesn’t have anywhere near the humidity we have on Earth, even on cold, winter days, or in our driest deserts. Mars is as dry as a bone, with most of the water probably socked underground as ice, or a mud-ice mixture called permafrost. And, the atmospheric pressure is quite a bit different on Mars. But as we in New England (and many other cold places on Earth) shiver during these cold times, we can sympathize with future Mars explorers who will have to contend with chilly temperatures all their lives as they learn what there is to know about another world.
Mars from the Mars Express mission, courtesy Astronomy Picture of the Day
There’s another Mars landing coming up. On Christmas Day. Did I just say “another” Mars landing? Not that landing on the Red Planet has ever had anything of the commonplace about it, but it’s rather thrilling to be able to say “another” as we settle yet another robot explorer onto the desert-like surface of Mars in preparation for an eventual human exploration mission to Mars. In one way, I hope it never becomes the banality we’re so used to on airline flights: “Folks, we’re on our final approach to Chryse Planitia shuttleport. Please make sure your tray tables and seat backs are in their upright and locked positions, your seatbelts are fastened, and that all your personal items are stowed in the overhead bins or under the seat in front of you. After landing we’ll be hovering for a few minutes so please continue to stay seated and keep your seatbelts fastened until we’ve come to a complete and final landing at the gate. As soon as the captain has turned off the seatbelt signs you will be free to get up. At that time please check around you to make sure you have all your belongings before exiting the shuttlecraft. We’d like to thank you for flying the friendly spaceways and hope to welcome you again if your future travel plans include a stop at Mars. For Captain Morgan and the rest of the crew, welcome to the Red Planet, where the local time is approximately 1400 hours.”
Projected landing site at Isidis Planitia for Beagle 2
In another way though, I wish it WERE like that. It would mean that we’d finally made the physical leap to another planet. Ever since I was a kid I’ve dreamed about exploring Mars. We used to play at it when I was growing up. I just figured we’d be there by now. But, we’re still in Mars exploration infancy, sending robots to touch the dusty Martian surface for us. And thanks to the magic of the Web, which brings us all manner of live “cam” events, we can follow this one from our computers (and most likely there’ll be some coverage on TV). So, if you have a little spare time on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, check in for the next landing on Mars, this time by the United Kingdom’s Beagle 2 spacecraft. As of this writing, it has separated from the “mother” ship (Mars Explorer), and is in orbital insertion. If all goes well, controllers will give the final go-ahead for a touch down in Isidis Planitia around 2:54 GMT on Christmas morning — that’s 9:54 p.m. December 24 on the U.S. East coast, 8:54 Central, 7:54 Mountain, and 6:54 Pacific. Here’s the website: Beagle 2 landing. If all goes well, I think it’ll be an exciting moment, expecially waiting for those first images from Mars!
