15 MINUTES ON MARS
Start exploring
DISCOVER MARS
Explore the scene and select the objectsto find out more about Mars.
Return toOpenLearn
Return tothe mainmenu
Please note: Once you have submitted your answer, the next question will automatically load.
Return toOpenLearn
KEEP DISCOVERING
For such a small planet, Mars is full of surprises. This was just a taster of some of the most interesting facts - return to the menu to find out more about Mars, or head over to the ‘Further resources’ area to see how you can learn more.
Return tothe mainmenu
Discover thefurtherresources
This needs reordering
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
DID YOU KNOW?
How much do you know about the red planet? Get up to sp eed fast with a quick quiz of five questions, that'll help you discover some of the most surprising facts about Mars.
FACT ONE OF FIVE
Please note: Once you have submitted your answer, the next question will automatically load.
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT TWO OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT THREE OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT FOUR OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT FIVE OF FIVE
Continue
WELCOME TO MARS
Have you ever looked up into the night sky at the red planet and wanted to know more? Many people before you have had that same idea. In this section, you’ll explore the history of Mars exploration, from observing the planet from Earth to the latest missions to travel there.
PAST AND PRESENT
Take a look at this interactive timeline to find out how we got to where we are today with Mars exploration.
PAST
Early discoveries
1964 - Mariner 4 flies past Mars
1971 - a year of firsts
1976 - Viking mission lands successfully
1997 - an orbiter and the first rover to Mars
2001 - Mars Odyssey
2003 - Mars Express and Beagle 2: Europe’s first mission to Mars and the British Mars lander
2004 - Spirit and Opportunity on the martian surface
2006 - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
Return to the main menu
PRESENT DAY
EXPLORE THE ENVIRONMENT
Forget for the moment the logistics of actually getting to Mars. Here’s your chance to explore the planet risk-free. Read on to find out more about the environment of Mars and whether there may be life out there.
GET TO KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT
Select the icons below to find out more about the different environmental features of Mars.
Atmosphere
Rocks and soil
Polar caps
Water
Life
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
GET TO KNOW THE GEOLOGY
Mars is a small planet - it has a radius a little over half of that of the Earth. However, the martian landscape has some of the most dramatic features in the Solar System. The geology of Mars, however, is not as different to Earth as you might think...
EXPLORE EACH FEATURE
Take a look at the geological features of Mars shown below. Select a heading to find out more.
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
The future of Mars exploration is always evolving. As new missions launch, the more we question how we can take our exploration further. Will humans ever step foot on Mars? Will we find evidence of life? Read on to find out the latest research on this.
WHAT WILL THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
Discover what experts think the future of our interaction with Mars could look like.
Will we bring rock samples back from Mars?
Will humans ever walk on Mars?
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
LEARN MORE
Want to keep exploring Mars? In this section we’ll give you the links you need to take your learning further.
FURTHER STUDY
Select the links below to find out more with courses from The Open University.
Questions in Science - S111
Planetary Science and the Search for Life - S283
Remote experiments in physics and space - SXPS288
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Will humans ever walk on Mars?
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Will we bring rock samples back from Mars?
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Colour Mosaic of Olympus Mons.
Image credit: NASA/JPL.
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Transcript
15 MINUTES ON MARS
Start exploring
DISCOVER MARS
Explore the scene and select the objectsto find out more about Mars.
Return toOpenLearn
Return tothe mainmenu
Please note: Once you have submitted your answer, the next question will automatically load.
Return toOpenLearn
KEEP DISCOVERING
For such a small planet, Mars is full of surprises. This was just a taster of some of the most interesting facts - return to the menu to find out more about Mars, or head over to the ‘Further resources’ area to see how you can learn more.
Return tothe mainmenu
Discover thefurtherresources
This needs reordering
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
DID YOU KNOW?
How much do you know about the red planet? Get up to sp eed fast with a quick quiz of five questions, that'll help you discover some of the most surprising facts about Mars.
FACT ONE OF FIVE
Please note: Once you have submitted your answer, the next question will automatically load.
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT TWO OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT THREE OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT FOUR OF FIVE
DID YOU KNOW?
FACT FIVE OF FIVE
Continue
WELCOME TO MARS
Have you ever looked up into the night sky at the red planet and wanted to know more? Many people before you have had that same idea. In this section, you’ll explore the history of Mars exploration, from observing the planet from Earth to the latest missions to travel there.
PAST AND PRESENT
Take a look at this interactive timeline to find out how we got to where we are today with Mars exploration.
PAST
Early discoveries
1964 - Mariner 4 flies past Mars
1971 - a year of firsts
1976 - Viking mission lands successfully
1997 - an orbiter and the first rover to Mars
2001 - Mars Odyssey
2003 - Mars Express and Beagle 2: Europe’s first mission to Mars and the British Mars lander
2004 - Spirit and Opportunity on the martian surface
2006 - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
2018 - InSight into the martian interior
2020 - A tale of three missions
Return to the main menu
PRESENT DAY
EXPLORE THE ENVIRONMENT
Forget for the moment the logistics of actually getting to Mars. Here’s your chance to explore the planet risk-free. Read on to find out more about the environment of Mars and whether there may be life out there.
GET TO KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT
Select the icons below to find out more about the different environmental features of Mars.
Atmosphere
Rocks and soil
Polar caps
Water
Life
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
GET TO KNOW THE GEOLOGY
Mars is a small planet - it has a radius a little over half of that of the Earth. However, the martian landscape has some of the most dramatic features in the Solar System. The geology of Mars, however, is not as different to Earth as you might think...
EXPLORE EACH FEATURE
Take a look at the geological features of Mars shown below. Select a heading to find out more.
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
The future of Mars exploration is always evolving. As new missions launch, the more we question how we can take our exploration further. Will humans ever step foot on Mars? Will we find evidence of life? Read on to find out the latest research on this.
WHAT WILL THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
Discover what experts think the future of our interaction with Mars could look like.
Will we bring rock samples back from Mars?
Will humans ever walk on Mars?
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
LEARN MORE
Want to keep exploring Mars? In this section we’ll give you the links you need to take your learning further.
FURTHER STUDY
Select the links below to find out more with courses from The Open University.
Questions in Science - S111
Planetary Science and the Search for Life - S283
Remote experiments in physics and space - SXPS288
Return tothe mainmenu
Return toOpenLearn
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Will humans ever walk on Mars?
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Will we bring rock samples back from Mars?
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
20XX
Plan
Showing enthusiasm, flashing a smile, and maintaining eye contact with your audience can be your best allies when telling stories that excite and pique the interest of the public: 'The eyes, kid. They never lie'. This will help you 'match' with your audience. Leave them speechless!
Colour Mosaic of Olympus Mons. Image credit: NASA/JPL.