Engineering Mars

Date: 10/23/2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
PDH Credit: 1 hour

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. Named after the Roman God of War, it is often referred to as the "Red Planet” because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance.  Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.
NASA's Curiosity rover has found evidence for engineers to address that chemistry in the surface material on Mars contributed dynamically to the makeup of its atmosphere over time. It's another clue that the history of the Red Planet's atmosphere is more complex and interesting than a simple legacy of loss.
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project is using Curiosity to determine if life was possible on Mars and study major changes in Martian environmental conditions. NASA engineers study Mars to learn more about our own planet, and in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Course Number: 
LWP061322
Field of Study: 
Structural Engineering
Level: 
Basic
Presenter:
Ron Finger
Prerequisites: 
None
Advanced Preparation: 
None