CMEX Mars Online Movies

Online Mars Movies

Here is a bunch of QuickTime™ movies (just click on one!) that can be found on the CD-ROM.

Viking Lander (approx. 62 MB)
James Earl Jones provides the commentary to this 18 minute slide show that was made by NASA to document the success of that first lander mission to Mars, one that also had two magnificent orbiters
Mars Pathfinder (approx. 56 MB)
The Mars Pathfinder Lander and it's Sojourner mini-rover were the first successful Mars spacecraft since Viking in the mid 1970's. This is a computer animation of that mission.
The Pathfinder Lander was accompanied by the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter which is still sending back data from Mars. This computer animation describes the missions goals, the spacecraft experiments and the novel use of aero-braking to circularize the orbit. In reality the aero-braking was carried out in two stages instead of one because of damage to one of the solar panel latches.
ImprTransonicMovie (approx. 1.5 MB)
Among the concepts for Mars airplanes is this transonic Delta-winged rocket plane which would be deployed directly from space in an atmospheric entry capsule to conduct a reconnaissance of a geologically exciting region like the Valles Marineris canyon system
KH3 Airplane Movie (approx. 1.5 MB)
This Mars airplane concept is one that has long straight wings and battery-powered propeller propulsion and would be deployed from a direct from space in an atmospheric entry capsule
MAGE (approx. 2 MB)
This concept for a Mars airplane mission focuses on carrying out a controlled flight over a region of particular science importance while acquiring a variety of remote sensing data at much higher resolutions than can be achieved from orbit.
Plane off Lander movie (approx. 1 MB)
An alternative to launching a Mars airplane from a direct entry capsule is a ground-launch system that would mount as part of the payload of a lander. Such an airplane could provide science mobility of much greater range than a surface rover.
Supercruiser Mission (approx. 1.5 MB)
This concept is of a "micro-mission" payload that would be launched as a "piggy-back" payload on an Ariane 5 rocket. This small unpowered airplane serves as its own entry vehicle and acquires reconnaissance data while cruising through the atmosphere at high speed.
Mars Today (approx. 3 MB)
Computer modelling techniques have been successful in reproducing the main features of the changing weather on Mars. This computer animation of the winds that blow across the martian surface was created by the NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model(GCM) team; its shows how temperatures and wind fields change with season. Note that the distance of Mars from the Sun changes significantly throughout the year because of its elliptical orbit. (Earth has an almost circular orbit). More on Mars weather can be found on the web at http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/.
Towards Mars (approx. 81 MB)
Eventually we will send astronauts to Mars as well as robots. This computer animation shows how such ambitious missions might be carried out.
Mars Direct (approx. 23 MB)
This animation shows an example sample return from the red planet.

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