Mars in a Minute: How Do You Land on Mars?

Name: Mars in a Minute: How Do You Land on Mars?
Uploaded: 2012-04-13T17:31:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: Getting a spacecraft to Mars is one thing; getting it safely to the ground is a whole other challenge! This 60-second video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains three ways to land on the surface of the Red Planet.

How Do You Land on Mars?

The Challenges of Martian Landing

Landing on Mars requires careful planning due to the high-speed entry of spacecraft, which can travel at thousands of miles per hour.

A heat shield is essential for protecting the spacecraft from intense heat and friction during atmospheric entry, slowing it down by over 90%.

Despite significant deceleration from friction, additional measures are necessary to ensure a safe landing.

Methods for Safe Landing

Parachutes are used to further reduce speed as the spacecraft descends, but even with this aid, it may still be falling at over 100 miles per hour upon parachute deployment.

For small to mid-size rovers, a combination of airbags and retro rockets is recommended; this allows for an impact speed of about 30 miles per hour followed by bouncing to a stop.

Larger landers utilize retro rockets and landing legs for a gentler touchdown at approximately six miles per hour.

Video description

Getting a spacecraft to Mars is one thing; getting it safely to the ground is a whole other challenge! This 60-second video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains three ways to land on the surface of the Red Planet.