Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
“Is there life on Mars?”, This is a question that people have been asking for more than centuries. The answer appears to be “it’s possible”. Some scientists consider Earth and Mars to be twins because there are some similarities between these two planets, but they are not quite the same. Apart from this, you can also think about what challenges humans will have to face to survive on Mars. What challenges will we have to overcome before making Mars our second home? That is why we need to consider many things like how long is a day on Mars, what are the basic needs for our survival and much more. So, in this blog we will find the answers to this question.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EARTH AND MARS
There are some similarities between Earth and Mars like both orbit the Sun, the tilt angle is the same but the difference between the two is huge.
- ATMOSPHERE: Earth’s atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and remaining 1% other gases. On the other hand the atmosphere of Mars is made up of 95% carbon dioxide, 2.6% nitrogen, 1.9% argon, 0.16% oxygen, and 0.06% carbon monoxide. Both eclipses have a layer of ice. The ice on Earth consists only of water, while on Mars there is a mixture of large amounts of water and CO2.
- ORBITS: Mars has two satellites, one is Phobos and the other is Deimos, while the only satellite of Earth is the Moon.
- TEMPERATURE: There are different temperatures in different seasons on Earth, although this cannot be compared with what happens on Mars. According to the National Weather Survey, average temperature on Mars has minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit which can reach minus 220 degrees Fahrenheit in winter or plus 70 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.
- SURFACE: The surface of the Mars is made up of rock and dust, while the surface of the Earth is 70% water and the remaining 30% is solid land.
LIST OF THE EVERY MISSION TO MARS
As of 2024, there have been near about 18 spacecraft missions successfully orbiting Mars, out of them currently active only 7. In total, NASA’s historical log shows that there have been 48 missions conducted to Mars over the last 60 years. However, only 45.5% of these missions have been fully successful, with a further 3 partially successful and partially failures.
| Mission | Launch Date | Operator | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
1M N0. 1 | 10 Oct 1960 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
1M N0. 2 | 14 Oct 1960 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
2MV-4 No. 1 | 24 Oct 1962 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
Mars 1 | 1 Nov 1962 | Soviet Union | Spacecraft Failure |
2MV-3 No. 1 | 4 Nov 1962 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
Mariner 3 | 5 Nov 1964 | NASA, USA | Launch Failure |
Mariner 4 | 28 Nov 1964 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Zond 2 | 30 Nov 1964 | Soviet Union | Spacecraft Failure |
Mariner 6 | 25 Feb 1969 | NASA, USA | Successful |
2M No. 521 | 27 Mar 1969 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
Mariner 7 | 27 Mar 1969 | NASA, USA | Successful |
2M No. 522 | 22 Apr 1969 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
Mariner 8 | 9 May 1971 | NASA, USA | Launch Failure |
Kosmos 419 | 10 May 1971 | Soviet Union | Launch Failure |
Mars 2 | 19 May 1971 | Soviet Union | Successful |
Mars 3 | 28 May 1971 | Soviet Union | Successful |
Mariner 9 | 30 May 1971 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Mars 4 | 21 Jul 1973 | Soviet Union | Partially Successful |
Mars 5 | 25 Jul 1973 | Soviet Union | Successful |
Mars 6 | 5 Aug 1973 | Soviet Union | Successful |
Mars 7 | 9 Aug 1973 | Soviet Union | Successful |
Viking 1 | 20 Aug 1975 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Viking 2 | 9 Sep 1975 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Phobos 1 | 7 Jul 1988 | Soviet Union | Spacecraft Failure |
Phobos 2 | 12 Jul 1988 | Soviet Union | Mostly Successful |
Mars Observer | 25 Sep 1992 | NASA, USA | Spacecraft Failure |
Mars Global Surveyor | 7 Nov 1996 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Mars 96 | 16 Nov 1996 | Rosaviakosmos, Russia | Launch Failure |
Mars Pathfinder | 4 Dec 1996 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Nozomi | 3 Jul 1998 | ISAS, Japan | Spacecraft Failure |
Mars Climate Orbiter | 11 Dec 1998 | NASA, USA | Spacecraft Failure |
Mars Polar Lander | 3 Jan 1999 | NASA, USA | Spacecraft Failure |
Mars Odyssey | 7 Apr 2001 | NASA, USA | Successful, Operational |
Mars Express | 2 Jun 2003 | ESA | Successful, Operational |
Spirit | 10 June 2003 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Opportunity | 8 Jul 2003 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Rosetta | 2 Mar 2004 | ESA | Successful |
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | 12 Aug 2005 | NASA, USA | Successful, Operational |
Phoenix | 4 Aug 2007 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Dawn | 27 Sep 2007 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Fobos-Grunt / Yinghuo-1 | 8 Nov 2011 | Roscosmos & CNSA | Launch Failure |
Mars Science Laboratory | 26 Nov 2011 | NASA, USA | Successful, Operational |
5 Nov 2013 | Successful | ||
MAVEN | 18 Nov 2013 | NASA, USA | Successful, Operational |
ExoMars 2016 | 14 Mar 2016 | ESA/Roscosmos | Successful, Operational |
InSight | 5 May 2018 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Emirates Mars Mission | 19 Jul 2020 | MBRSC, UAE | Successful, Operational |
Tianwen-1 | 23 Jul 2020 | CNSA, China | Successful, Operational |
Mars 2020 | 30 Jul 2020 | NASA, USA | Successful |
Psyche | 13 Oct 2023 | NASA, USA | Successful, Operational |
SHOULD WE COLONIZE MARS?
- Scientific Exploration: This will help us explore geology, climate, past and present life of Mars, which will help us colonize it in the long term.
- Backup Plan For Humanity: Colonizing Mars serves as an important backup against Earth’s climate change, which ensures the survival of human species.
- Resource Utilization: There may be many resources on Mars that can sustain human life, like water ice and minerals. If these resources are used then we will not need continuous missions.
- Expansion of Human Prescence: The biggest benefit of colonizing Mars will be the expansion of human presence. Which can help in colonizing other celestial bodies of this universe.
- Technological Advancements: To colonize Mars, we will have to develop sustainable habitats and transportation systems in accordance with the atmosphere there, which will drive technology innovation tomorrow that will benefit life on Earth.
However, to accomplish all these things, many challenges will have to be faced such as higher cost, health risk, environmental risk, communication delay etc.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, scientists are still searching for proof of life on Mars. The presence of frozen water, liquid water, and methane in the atmosphere has given some hope that life will eventually exist there. There are numerous hypotheses and fictions related to the solar system’s fourth planet, Mars. Other issues concerning life on Mars have arisen in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The potential of life already existing on Mars or, in the future, humanity inhabiting Mars is a fascinating topic to discuss.
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