Name:

Name: _______________________

Mars
Mars Rovers:
Rovers: Pioneers
Pioneers ofof the
the Red
Red Planet
Planet
Mars
Mars rovers
rovers are
are robotic vehicles designed
robotic vehicles designed to
to explore
explore the
the surface
surface of
of Mars. They have
Mars. They have
provided
provided invaluable
invaluable data
data about
about the
the planet's
planet's geology,
geology, climate,
climate, and
and potential for past
potential for past life.
life.

Notable
Notable rovers
rovers like
like Spirit,
Spirit, Opportunity,
Opportunity, and
and Curiosity
Curiosity have
have traversed the Martian
traversed the Martian terrain,
terrain,

conducting
conducting experiments and sending back crucial information to Earth. These missions are
experiments and sending back crucial information to Earth. These missions are
critical
critical to
to understanding
understanding MarsMars and
and planning future human
planning future human exploration.
exploration.

Fill
Fill in
in the
the Blank:
Blank: Fill
Fill in the blank
in the blank with
with the
the correct
correct words.
words.

1. The rover
1. The rover named Curiosity
named ______________ was
was launched
launched in
in 2011
2011 and
and landed
landed on
on Mars
Mars in
in

2012.
2012.

2.
2. Mars
Mars rovers
rovers are
are equipped
equipped with
with various
various scientific
instruments
scientific ______________ to
to analyze
analyze soil
soil and
and
rock
rock samples.
samples.

3. Spirit
3. ______________ and
and Opportunity
Opportunity were twin rovers
were twin rovers sent
sent to
to Mars
Mars in
in 2003.
2003.

4. The main
4. The main goal
goal of the Mars
of the Mars rover
rover missions
missions is to determine
is to determine if the
the planet
if planet could
could have
have
ever
ever supported
life
supported ______________.

5.
5. The exploration
The ______________ of
of rovers
rovers on
on Mars
Mars provides
provides insights
insights into the planet's
into the planet's climate
climate
and
and geology.
geology.

Word
Word bank:
bank: life,
life, Spirit,
Spirit, instruments,
instruments, Curiosity,
Curiosity, exploration
exploration

Multiple
Multiple Choice
Choice Questions:
Questions: Choose the correct
Choose the correct answer
answer from
from the
the choices for each
choices for each question.
question.

1.
1. Which
Which of the following
of the following rovers
rovers discovered
discovered evidence
evidence of
of ancient
ancient water
water on
on Mars?
Mars?

○
o a)
a) Spirit
Spirit

○
o b)
b) Pathfinder
Pathfinder

○
o c)
c) Sojourner
Sojourner

○
o d)
d) Viking
Viking

2.
2. What
What is
is the
the primary
primary power
power source for the
source for the Curiosity
Curiosity rover?
rover?

○
o a)
a) Solar
Solar panels
panels

○
o b)
b) Nuclear
Nuclear power
power

○
o c)
c) Wind
Wind turbines
turbines

○
o d)
d) Battery
Battery cells
cells
 3.
3. Which
Which Mars
Mars rover
rover holds
holds the
the record for the
record for the longest
longest distance
distance traveled
traveled on the Martian
on the Martian
surface?
surface?

○
o a)
a) Sojourner
Sojourner

○
o b)
b) Curiosity
Curiosity

○
o c)
c) Opportunity
Opportunity

○
o d)
d) Spirit
Spirit

4. The term
4. The term "sol"
"sol" in
in the
the context
context of
of Mars
Mars rovers
rovers refers to:
refers to:

○
o a)
a) A
A Martian year
Martian year

○
o b)
b) A
A Martian
Martian day
day

○
o c)
c) A
A landing
landing site
site

○
o d)
d) A type of
A type of rock
rock

5.
5. Which
Which of the following
of the following instruments
instruments is
is used
used by
by Mars
Mars rovers
rovers to
to detect
detect organic
organic
compounds?
compounds?

○
o a)
a) ChemCam
ChemCam

○
o b)
b) Mastcam
Mastcam

○
o c)
c) SAM
SAM (Sample
(Sample Analysis
Analysis at
at Mars)
Mars)

○
o d)
d) RPS
RPS (Radioisotope
(Radioisotope Power
Power System)
System)

Open
Open Ended
Ended Questions:
Questions: Answer
Answer the following questions
the following questions in
in complete
complete sentences:
sentences:

1.
1. Describe
Describe the
the significance
significance of
of finding
finding liquid
liquid water
water on
on Mars
Mars and
and its
its implications for
implications for
future exploration.
future exploration.
Finding liquid water on Mars is very special because it shows the possibility of there once being
life on the planet. Humans can use it as a resource for the future because humans need water to
survive.

2.
2. How dodo Mars
Mars rovers
rovers communicate
communicate with
with Earth,
Earth, and
and what
what challenges
challenges are
are involved
involved in
in

this process?
this process?

Mars rovers communicate with Earth using antennas that send and receive signals via satellites orbiting Mars.
Challenges involving this is the delay it takes information to travel from Mars to Earth and positions the satellites
correctly to deliver and receive the information.
 3.
3. Explain
Explain the
the role
role of the Mars
of the Mars 2020
2020 mission
mission and
and its
its rover,
rover, Perseverance,
Perseverance, in
in the
the search
search
for ancient
for ancient life
life on
on Mars.
Mars.

The role of the rover and mission was to search for signs of ancient life
by analyzing rock samples and identifying biosignatures. Also to collect
Answer Key:rock samples and get them back to earth for research.
Key:
Fill
Fill in
in the
the Blank:
Blank:
1.
1. Curiosity
Curiosity
2.
2. instruments
instruments
3.
3. Spirit
Spirit

4.
4. life
life

5.
5. exploration
exploration

Multiple
Multiple Choice
Choice Questions:
Questions:
1. a) Spirit
1. a) Spirit

2.
2. b)
b) Nuclear
Nuclear power
power
3.
3. c)
c) Opportunity
Opportunity
4. b)
4. b) A Martian
Martian day
day
5.
5. c)
c) SAM (Sample Analysis at
(Sample Analysis at Mars)
Mars)

Open Ended
Ended Questions:
Questions:
1.
1. Liquid water on
Liquid water on Mars
Mars isis significant
significant because
because it raises
it raises the
the possibility that
possibility that
life
life could
could have
have existed
existed on the planet.
on the planet. This
This discovery
discovery also
also suggests
suggests
potential
potential resources
resources forfor future
future human missions,
missions, as water is
as water is essential
essential for
for
life support and fuel production.
life support and fuel production.

2.
2. Mars
Mars rovers
rovers communicate
communicate with with Earth
Earth using
using antennas
antennas thatthat send
send and
and
receive
receive signals
signals via
via satellites
satellites orbiting
orbiting Mars.
Mars. Challenges
Challenges include the time
include the time
delay
delay due
due to the distance
to the distance between
between MarsMars and
and Earth, which can
Earth, which can vary
vary
from 4
from 4 to
to 24
24 minutes
minutes one way,way, andand the
the need
need toto schedule
schedule
communication windows when satellites
communication windows satellites are
are in the correct
in the correct position.
position.

3.
3. The Mars
Mars 2020 mission, with its
mission, with its rover
rover Perseverance,
Perseverance, aims aims to to search
search
for signs
for signs of
of ancient
ancient life
life by
by analyzing
analyzing rockrock samples
samples andand identifying
identifying
biosignatures.
biosignatures. Perseverance is also tasked with collecting samples
Perseverance is also tasked with collecting samples
that could
that could be
be returned
returned toto Earth
Earth by by a
a future
future mission,
mission, providing
providing more
more in-
in-
depth
depth analysis
analysis and
and aiding
aiding in the preparation
in the for human exploration.
preparation for exploration.