Question

20
key question: how can we classify stars, and can we determine any relationships between their characteristics?
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 phase. Instead, other methods like the Sky - Crane for Curiosity and similar advanced landing systems for Perseverance were used to ensure a safe landing.
2. Rovers communicate with Earth through radio waves. They use antennas on the rover and large radio - telescopes on Earth (like the Deep Space Network) to send and receive signals. The signals are encoded to transmit data such as images, scientific measurements, and status information.
3. The Ingenuity helicopter can provide a new perspective in planetary exploration. It can fly over areas that may be difficult for rovers to access, such as steep slopes or rocky terrain. It can also cover larger areas in a shorter time compared to rovers moving on the ground, allowing for more extensive mapping and discovery of geological features.
4. Rovers and landers are sent instead of astronauts for several reasons. They are less expensive to build, launch, and operate. They can be designed to withstand harsh planetary environments that would be dangerous for humans. Also, they can perform long - term, repetitive scientific tasks without the need for life - support systems and other complex requirements for human survival.

Answer:

1. The Martian atmosphere is too thin for parachutes to be effective during the final descent as they would not provide enough drag for the large and heavy Curiosity and Perseverance rovers.
2. They communicate with Earth through radio waves using antennas on the rover and large radio - telescopes on Earth (such as the Deep Space Network).
3. It can access hard - to - reach areas like steep slopes and rocky terrain, and cover larger areas more quickly than rovers, enabling more extensive mapping and geological discovery.
4. They are less costly, can withstand harsh environments, and can perform long - term, repetitive scientific tasks without the need for complex life - support systems for humans.