Past Mars Exploration
Telescopes to Pathfinder
The Beginnings
• Tycho Brahe studies Mars’ motion to
support Copernican view of the Solar
Sytem
• Kepler used this to lay the foundations for
his three laws of motion
• Galileo first to observe Mars with a
telescope in 1609
Canals on Mars?
• Schiaparelli observes Mars in 1877 and
sees “canali”
• This inspires many, including Percival
Lowell to observe Mars.
A Reality Check
• Mariner 4 did the first fly by in 1965 and
sent back pictures and data, including the
following:
Then On to Viking
• Two orbiters and landers arrive in Martian
Orbit in 1976
Mars Global Surveyor
• Arrives in orbit in 1996 and aerobrakes
into a circular orbit over a period of two
years
Pathfinder 1997
Spirit and Opportunity