What determines the length of the landed mission?
The duration of the landed mission is determined by the lander’s ability to function in the changing Martian environment. As on Earth, the Martian polar regions experience significant seasonal variations in environmental conditions. When the lander arrives at Mars during the late southern spring season, the sun will be above the horizon throughout the day. As the southern summer season progresses, the sun will get lower and lower on the horizon, resulting in decreased power output by the lander’s solar arrays. Air temperatures get progressively colder as the fall season approaches, requiring the lander use more of its energy to keep warm. As the mission progresses, the lander will spend more and more of its time in its energy-conserving “sleep” mode. Eventually, it will reach the point where it will not have enough energy to collect data or communicate, and the mission will effectively be over. 18. What are the temperatures that can be expected at the landing site? During peak summer,
