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Home , Amazonis Planitia, Aram Chaos, Arcadia Planitia, Chasma, Olympus Mons, Orcus Patera

Spaceflight Engineering 2018 Landing Sites Landing Site #1: Schiaparelli Crater

The Schiaparelli Crater is a large on , located in the Sinus Sabaeus quadrangle.

Coordinates: (2.71ºS, 16.77ºE)

The crater measures 459 km in diameter Landing Site #2: Milankovic Crater

The Milankovic crater is another large impact crater on Mars. It is located much further north than the Schiaparelli crater, in the flat of .

Coordinates: (54.7ºN 146.7ºW)

The Milankovic crater is 118.4km in diameter Landing Site #3:

The Arcadia Planitia is a large flat region in the northern hemisphere of Mars. It lies just of the northern .

Coordinates: (47.2ºN 184.3ºE)

This area has been a particular interest for many scientists because the possibility of ground ice has led to discussion about water. Location and Setting: Ismenius Cavus Mission statement: Your company’s mission goes here Location and Setting: Coord: 2.8°N, 338.9°E Elevation: 3.4 km

- A crater that once contained water

-Clay minerals consistent with fine-grained deposits at lake bottom ● -Past habitability in subsurface environment

- atmosphere preservation– evaporite minerals

Location and Setting: Hellas Coord:Mission 34.64°S 65.47°E statement: Hellas Chasma is a deep, elongated, Yoursteep-sided company’s depression 148 KM Diameter Notmission much known about it. goes here Purpose

To earn more about Mars’ Hesperian period and fluvial activity

Examine sediments

Biggest impact crater Advantages

Research done on distance and time away from other sites in the Hellas Basin

It suggests fluvial activity

Largest impact crater, may be able to learn more Disadvantages

Very little research done on Hellas Chasma

May be an interesting site, but not much to go off of other than geomorphology

• Northern polar plain on Mars

• Around 1.5x size of Texas

• Permanent ice cap with several different layers

• Spirals in land formed from katabatic wind 87.32ºN 54.96ºE -8,520 ft.

• Depression on surface of Mars

• West of

• 500m deep on average

• Unknown how it was originally formed

• Theories include a crater, volcanic, and tectonic 14.13ºN 178.35ºE action -12,250 ft. Purpose

• Because of the speculation, more information would be helpful to determine cause

• Cause could be something completely different than current theories

• Samples can be taken of surface to deduce possibly of crater impact/volcanic Advantages

• Smooth floor would allow an easy landing

• Steep walls around patera could possibly help against weather - dust storm

• and Viking Data theorized it was not volcanic or from a crater Disadvantages

• First imaged by 4 (1964)

• Other than imagery no previous landings or expeditions have occurred here

• Mobile lander could traverse area but not leave crater - high walls Olympus Mons

• Large shield (built from volcanic fluids)

• ~72,000ft. above surface

• Located in western hemisphere of Mars

• Caldera - magma chamber collapses on itself during eruption creating depression (type of sinkhole) 18.23ºN 133.07ºW 58,850 ft. Purpose

• Examine remnants and signs of flows

• Take samples of basaltic rock and other types of

• Learn more about the forming of Olympus Mons and its Advantages

• Terrain is much different than most of surrounding land

• Probably safest place to land on Olympus Mons Disadvantages

• No previous landings

• Surface mainly composed of - volcanic rock

• Difficult to drill through

• High altitude may make weather effects more severe

• Makes it more difficult to land because altitude - less time to reduce speed

One of the smoothest plains on Mars, west of Olympus Mons

Closely resembles the composition of Earth’s Iceland

Formed by free flowing lava that could still be present

24.8ºN 196.0ºE