Question

history of mars exploration
mars is the most explored planet in the solar system. spacecraft from 22 countries on earth fly by, orbit, land, or land and rove (wander or roam) the surface on missions to study the planet. getting to mars is not easy, however, and about 30% of missions have failed, especially during the early years of exploration.
read the timeline.
mars milestones by decade
here are some of the successful mars missions from various countries and their goals.
1960s • fly by planet and return first images in black and white (us)
1970s • successfully land on surface, gather data (ussr)

• map surface, search for evidence of life (us)

1990s • look for signs of water; return data on seasons and weather; prove that rovers can travel surface and collect data; first color image of mars (us)
2000s • orbit and study planet (european space agency)

• return first high resolution images, rove 28 miles, find evidence of recent volcanic activity (us)

2010s • find proof of organic matter (carbon compounds formed by living organisms) in soil (us)

• explore surface, mineralogy (india)
• find atmospheric gases that suggest presence of life (esa/russia)
• discover liquid water below southern ice cap (italy)

2020s • study atmosphere (united arab emirates)

• land rover (china)
• first color aerial picture of marss surface (us)

answer the questions.

1. what decade was the first successful landing on the surface of mars?
2. what country discovered liquid water below an ice cap?
3. has organic matter been found in the soil? when and by whom?
4. which milestone do you find the most interesting? explain.

Explanation:

1. From the timeline, the first successful landing on Mars surface was in the 1970s by the USSR.
2. Italy discovered liquid water below southern ice - cap in the 2010s.
3. Organic matter was found in the soil in the 2010s by the US.
4. Answers may vary for the most interesting milestone. For example, the discovery of organic matter is significant as it relates to the possibility of life on Mars. Organic matter is associated with living organisms on Earth, so finding it on Mars could imply past or present life.

Answer:

1. 1970s
2. Italy
3. Yes, in the 2010s by the US
4. Answers may vary. For example, the discovery of organic matter in the 2010s by the US because it is related to the possibility of life on Mars.