1. Mercury Venus Earth Mars
Inner Planets
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars

2. NASA Missions to planet
Objectives
Atmosphere
Characteristics
NASA Missions to planet

3. The whole mass of gas surrounding a planet
Atmosphere
The whole mass of gas
surrounding a planet

4. Mercury Characteristics Smallest Terrestrial planet Closest to sun
0 moons
Surface is flat plains and craters

5. At night -274º because heat escapes due to NO ATMOSPHERE
Mercury Atmosphere
No atmosphere
Weak gravity because of small size
Has greatest temperature range
806° during day on side facing sun.
At night -274º because heat escapes due to NO ATMOSPHERE

6. Flew by Mercury 3 times in 1974-1975
Missions to Mercury
MARINER 10
Flew by Mercury 3 times in
MESSENGER
Launched in 2004, orbited in 2011 after several flybys. Collected data on planet .
BEPICOLUMBO
FUTURE 2013
European Space Agency mission to Mercury. August 2013 launch “orbiter” (6 year Mission.) Lander part cancelled due to money problems.

7. Mariner 10

8. Venus Characteristics
Evening/ morning star
Can be seen in west after sunset and can be seen before sunrise
Earth’s Twin
Size, mass, density, & internal structure similar to Earth.
Covered with rock, many volcanoes & lava plains
Rotates East to West
“theory” is that large object hit Venus & changed rotation (Earth rotates west to east)

9. Venus’ Atmosphere
If you could stand on Venus, atmosphere would crush you. Pressure is 90 times greater than Earth.
Atmosphere made mostly of Carbon dioxide CO2
Hottest surface of any planet 860º F CAN MELT LEAD!
Clouds & CO2 trap heat and cause “GREENHOUSE EFFECT”
CO2
*Thick atmosphere, *Always cloudy
*Clouds made of sulfuric acid droplets

10. Missions to Venus VENERA 7 Magellan Landed on Venus in 1970
Lasted on a few minutes due to high temperature and pressure
Magellan
Orbited Venus beginning in Mapped surface using radar. NASA crash landed it on Venus in
1994.
In 1990 flew by Venus on way to Jupiter.
Galileo
In 1995 flew by Venus.
Vega1&2

11. Earth Characteristics
Unique -has water
70 % of planet covered with water

12. Enough gravity to hold on to most gases
Earth’s Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Enough gravity to hold on to most gases
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Argon
Water Vapor

13. Mars’ Characteristics
Red Planet
Slightly red tint in sky
Iron rich rocks & dust
Water Theory
Large amount of H2O flowed on surface
Water is now
*located at 2 poles – frozen
*frozen underground
H20 quickly turns to gas due to
thin atmosphere

14. Mars’ Characteristics
*Tilted Axis
*Has
seasons
Giant Volcanoes
*”Olympus Mons” largest
volcano
2 moons
*Phobos-spiraling to Mars
*Deimos

15. Mars’ Atmosphere Atmosphere 95% CO2 Thin atmosphere -280° F – 68° F
Temperature
Few clouds

16. Mars’ Missions Many probes Viking 1 Viking 2 Rovers Spirit Opportunity
Rover
Curiosity

18. Curiosity Mission name: Mars Science Laboratory
Rover name: Curiosity rover
Size: About the size of a small SUV feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall -- (about 3 meters long (not including the arm), 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall), or about the height of a basketball player.
Arm Reach: About 7 feet (2.2 meters)
Weight: 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds)
Features: Geology lab, rocker-bogie suspension, rock-vaporizing laser and lots of cameras
Mission: To search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life
Launch: Nov. 26, 2011, 7:02 a.m. PST (10:02 a.m. EST)
Landing: August 2012
Length of mission on Mars: The prime mission will last one Mars year or about 23 Earth months.