Thousands of avatars participated from around the world

Send your avatar’s name to Mars with James Cameron’s(Avatar film maker) 3D film project

Send Your Avatar’s Name to MarsBy Shannon Bohle, MLIS

13th International Mars Society ConventionAugust 5, 2010

““That’s one small step for an avatar, That’s one small step for an avatar, one giant leap for libraries”one giant leap for libraries”

Video: Linden Prize "Top 10” (1.5 mins)

Neil A. Armstrong Library and ArchivesEncouraging Participatory Learning

International History of the Exploration of Mars

Predecessors: Progress Toward Human Spaceflight to MarsMariner 3 & 4 (1964) - 4 first to get closeup pictures of MarsMariner 6 & 7 (1969) - closeup pictures of surface of MarsMariner 8 & 9 (1971) - 9 First to orbit MarsViking 1 & 2 (1975 & 1976) - Landing on MarsMars Observer (1992)Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) (1996-7) Mars Pathfinder (1996) - Landed Rovers to roam the surface to learn about climate and soil properties, used solar power, used slower communications methods (Low-Gain Antenna, the other the High-Gain Antenna X-band Frequencies)Mars Climate Orbiter (1998) Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 (1999)

Determine whether Life ever arose on Mars

Characterize the Climate of Mars

Characterize the Geology of Mars

Prepare for Human Exploration

Understanding the history of water on Mars is important to meeting the four science goals of NASA's long-term Mars Exploration Program:

Improved landing techniques testedfor human spaceflight to Mars.

“Curiosity”

Mars Science Laboratory Rover “Curiosity”(planned 2011-Ongoing) • Human-friendly landing technique.• Larger size – About the size of an SUV (9 feet long) whereas first Mars rover, Sojourner, was about the size of a microwave, and 4x as heavy as Spirit and Opportunity.• Improved power source (expected lifespan increase to 14 years, uses radioactive decay from plutonium power source). Viking landers lasted 4-6 years, Spirit/Opportunity 6 years+.• Faster communication with Earth - UHF frequencies, Low- Gain Antenna, High-Gain Antenna X-band Frequencies. Laser communications are in the research stages.

Biogenic hypothesis:Meteorite fragment ALH 84001

Prevention of Sample Contamination

Evidence of Past Life on Mars

• Spectrometry• Future Sample Return

“The scientific objectives of the Mars Exploration Rover mission are to: * Search for and characterize a variety of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity. In particular, samples sought will include those that have minerals deposited by water-related processes such as precipitation, evaporation, sedimentary cementation, or hydrothermal activity.* Determine the distribution and composition of minerals, rocks, and soils surrounding the landing sites.* Determine what geologic processes have shaped the local terrain and influenced the chemistry. Such processes could include water or wind erosion, sedimentation, hydrothermal mechanisms, volcanism, and cratering.* Perform "ground truth" -- calibration and validation -- of surface observations made by Mars orbiter instruments. This will help determine the accuracy and effectiveness of various instruments that survey Martian geology from orbit.* Search for iron-containing minerals, identify and quantify relative amounts of specific mineral types that contain water or were formed in water, such as iron-bearing carbonates.* Characterize the mineralogy and textures of rocks and soils and determine the processes that created them.* Search for geological clues to the environmental conditions that existed when liquid water was present. Assess whether those environments were conducive to life.”

What’s Over That Horizon?

Vehicle planning for transportation on Mars

• How far will wheels sink—What is the soil resistance?

• Testing automated obstacle avoidance systems

• R&D and testing of autonomous robots to perform dangerous or time consuming work, such as drilling and mining

Transportation

Mars Rover 3D Software

NASA JPL’s Explorer Island

NASA JPL’s Explorer Island

 Grand Prize, 2010 Federal Virtual Worlds ChallengeGrand Prize, 2010 Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge

NSF Research Video (4 mins)

USAF

Mars Expedition Flight Video (8 mins)

USAF

United Space Alliance’s Mars Desert Research Station Habitat

Video: Moon to Mars (3 mins)

Marc Boucher(Kenji Aero)

* Platform for education and public outreach* Test bed for ideas actually for use in arctic* Arctic explorers discuss experiences in auditorium* Videos from the arctic expeditions* Engineering design concepts (Stephen Braham)* Volunteers to help with the project

Virtual Haughton-Mars Project

Spaceport UK

Spaceport UK

Planetarium (Sweden)

Mars