Name M
continued
CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER ASSESSMENT
Applying Scientific Methods
Mapping techniques can be used on other planets besides Earth. In 1996, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) launched a satellite called the Mars Global Surveyor toward Mars. One of
the purposes of the satellite was to map the surface of Mars. Based largely on the data provided by this
mission, NASA launched another satellite called the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to gather more
detailed information about Mars's surface and subsurface. The satellite reached Mars in 2006 and, using
the friction of the Martian atmosphere, gradually slowed into orbit around the planet. Its primary science
phase was scheduled to last two years.
The Mar Reconnaissance Orbiter carries a camera that has 5 times better resolution than the camera
on the Mars Global Surveyor. It can distinguish objects on the surface of Mars that are 1 meter across.
The satellite also has a spectrometer that identifies minerals on Mars's surface, as well as an instrument
that probes the subsurface using radar waves. All of the information collected by the Mars Global
Surveyor and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are transmitted to Earth in the form of radio waves.
1. The distance from Earth to Mars ranges between 78,000,000 km and 380,000,000 km, depending
on the time of year. The speed of light is 300,000 km/s. Calculate the minimum and maximum
time it takes for data transmitted by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to reach Earth.
What are the advantages of using satellites for proiect like these instead