Question

landers
unlike rovers, landers arent mobile. this reduces their cost, but also the amount of information that they can gather.
the viking landers (1 and 2) were the first landers to not only land, but use rockets to soft - land on mars. they tested the soil for life but the results were negative. the landers produced the first images from the surface of mars and studied the atmosphere and soil. the landers operated for about six years.
during its mission to saturn, the cassini space probe dropped the huygens lander into the clouds of titan. as the lander parachuted down, it took images of lakes and rivers of liquid methane. huygens landed on a river delta. rocks rubbed smooth by flowing liquid methane indicate erosion happens on other planets in the same way that it does on earth.
the russian venera landers are the only landers to have reached the surface of venus. they returned images from the surface, showing basalt - like rock and volcanic plains. despite later versions of the landers being built to withstand the extreme conditions on venus, the landers never lasted longer than a few hours on the surface before failing.
the apollo landers are the only landers to have carried humans to another celestial object: the moon. each lander carried two astronauts to the surface. the second part of the mission, the upper ascent stage, carried them back to the command module, in orbit around the moon.
mars pathfinder consisted of both a lander, that acted as a base station, and the first rover (sojourner) to land on mars. while the lander was able to take images and record atmospheric data, the rover was able to travel just over 100 meters before communication to it was lost.
impactors are a type of lander that deliberately crashes into the surface of a planet. by doing this, the impactor can expose layers below the surface, for study. shock waves from the impactor can be used to study the interior of small celestial bodies.

1. why were parachutes not used to slow curiosity and perseverance on their final descents?
2. how do these rovers communicate with earth?
3. ingenuity is the first helicopter to fly on another planet. explain why such a device could be very useful in planetary exploration:
4. explain why rovers and landers are sent to explore the surface of distant worlds instead of astronauts:

Explanation:

1. Curiosity and Perseverance are large and heavy rovers. The Martian atmosphere is too thin to provide sufficient drag for parachutes to slow them down effectively during the final descent. Instead, they use a sky - crane system to lower them gently to the surface.
2. Rovers communicate with Earth through radio waves. They send data back to Earth - based receiving stations using antennas on the rover. These radio signals can travel the vast distances between Mars and Earth, allowing scientists to receive information about the rover's location, the data it has collected, and its status.
3. A helicopter like Ingenuity can access areas that are difficult or impossible for rovers to reach, such as steep slopes, deep craters, or narrow valleys. It can also provide a different perspective for imaging and scientific observations, covering more ground in less time compared to rovers' slower, surface - bound movement.
4. Rovers and landers are sent instead of astronauts for several reasons. Cost is a major factor; robotic missions are generally less expensive than sending humans. There are also fewer risks involved in sending robots, as there is no danger to human life. Robots can also be designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions on other planets for long periods without the need for life - support systems.

Answer:

1. The Martian atmosphere is too thin for parachutes to work effectively during final descent; a sky - crane system is used instead.
2. Through radio waves sent to Earth - based receiving stations using antennas on the rover.
3. Can access hard - to - reach areas and provide a different perspective for observations, covering more ground faster than rovers.
4. Lower cost, less risk to life, and can withstand harsh conditions without life - support systems.