Question 2 of 21

The major focus of NASA's Mars Exploration Program is the ____________.

... The primary goal of the Mars Exploration Program is to determine if life ever existed on Mars and if it can sustain life now.

Question 3 of 21

Which of the following will explorers need to seek in order to determine if there was ever life on Mars?

... Because of the thin atmosphere on Mars, sunlight creates superoxides that don't allow for an environment that sustains carbon-based life forms. Other forms of energy, such as geothermal or chemical, would be needed for life as we know it on Mars.

Question 4 of 21

In 1965, the first close-up pictures of Mars came from the _________ probe.

... Eight months after leaving Earth, the Mariner 4 sent back 22 photos of Mars.

Question 5 of 21

NASA is interested in the climate on Mars, especially its __________.

... Planet-wide dust storms occur every spring and summer on Mars; NASA plans to investigate their cause.

Question 6 of 21

The _______ regions of Mars will be subjected to intense study in order to understand Mars's history.

... The layered polar ice caps are expected to contain a great deal of information that will shed light on the evolution of Mars as a planet.

Question 7 of 21

By studying the ___________ of Mars, NASA scientists can learn more about the history of the interior structure, temperature and geology of Mars.

... While Mars today has no magnetic field, recently-discovered magnetic materials on the planet indicate an earlier magnetic field, which can be studied to determine more of the history of Mars's composition.

Question 8 of 21

One area of concern that must be studied before human explorers go to Mars is ____________.

... Mars has no ozone layer to protect people from fatal exposure to the sun's rays, so it behooves future explorers of the planet to study ultraviolet radiation.

Question 9 of 21

The MAVEN mission, scheduled to launch in 2013, will investigate Mars's ______.

... In ages past, climate change caused drastic alterations in the atmosphere of Mars. MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN) will attempt to shed light on the history of the atmosphere, perhaps indicating the possibility of life at some point in Mars's history.

Question 10 of 21

The ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter will be a joint project between NASA and the ___________.

... In 2009, NASA and European Space Agency signed an agreement for several joint projects. The first spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2016 and will focus on trace gases in the atmosphere.

Question 11 of 21

The Mars 2018 Mission is planned to take European Space Agency and NASA rovers to Mars. The NASA rover will be powered by _________.

... Current design plans indicate the NASA rover will be powered by the sun.

Question 12 of 21

The Mars 2018 Mission rovers will collect geological samples and ___________.

... A few dozen samples will be collected and placed in a secure location where they may be collected by a "fetch" rover at a later date.

Question 13 of 21

The plans for Mars exploration beyond 2020 include the Mars Ascent Vehicle, which will gather samples collected from Mars, launch into space and then ____.

... The Mars Ascent Vehicle will send the collected geological samples into orbit around Mars, where they will later be collected by the Mars Sample Return Orbiter and taken to Earth for study.

Question 14 of 21

The Mars Sample Return Orbiter will collect orbiting canisters of Mars samples in a device similar to a __________.

... Canisters will be collected using long-range cameras and a collector reminiscent of a basketball hoop.

Question 15 of 21

NASA foresees the earliest date they could receive geological samples from Mars would be ____________.

... If all goes well, NASA anticipates that the Mars Science Return Orbiter could be launched in 2022 and return with samples by 2027.

Question 16 of 21

NASA envisions which of the following for future Mars explorations?

... NASA imagines it all: sending balloons and airplanes to provide scenes from Mars's sky; traveling below the surface to study the geologic composition and history of the planet; and gathering samples to study at home in Earth labs.

Question 17 of 21

Using planes to investigate Mars would require ____________.

... To take off in the thin atmosphere of Mars, a plane would need large wings or an extremely fast acceleration rate.

Question 18 of 21

Given our current technology and initial plans, how long would a plane be able to fly over Mars, whether gliding or battery-powered?

... With our current understanding and technology, a plane could stay aloft on Mars for less than one hour.

Question 19 of 21

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using balloons to investigate Mars?

... Airplanes are easier to direct and control than balloons.

Question 20 of 21

The Montgolfier balloon is being considered for use on Mars, because it is filled with air from the environment. One problem with using it on Mars would be that _________.

... The buoyancy of Montgolfier balloons is caused by air heated by the sun; this would sustain travel for only about three hours on Mars.

Question 21 of 21

The next two rovers to land on Mars are expected to roam a total distance of about ________.

... Current rover models are slow-moving and are expected to travel about one kilometer, or six-tenths of a mile, during their missions.

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