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1、WhatAreWeReallyDoingaboutMars?ThispictureofMarswastakenbytheHubbleSpaceTelescope.Noticetheiceclouds.MarsGlobalSurveyorhasbeengatheringMarsdataforfouryears.ThefirstspacecraftfromEarthtovisitMarswasMariner4in1965.Sincethen,severalroboticspacecrafthaveflownby,orbited,orlandedonMarsandse
2、ntbacklotsofinformationaboutthisworldsodifferentfromourown.Marsisacold,bleakwasteland,withverythinairthatweEarthlingscouldneverbreathe.However,manyofthepicturesourtelescopesandspacecrafthavesentbackshowsignsthatliquidwatermighthavebeenonthesurfaceofMarslongago.Also,wecanseeicecapsatt
3、henorthandsouthpoles.Allthesesignsofwaterareveryexciting.Why?BecauseonEarth,almosteverywherethereiswater,thereislife.Whetherthewaterisboilinghotorfrozen,somesortofcreatureseemstothriveinit.Isitthesameonotherplanets?IfwateronceflowedonMars,didlifeoncethrivetheretoo?Or,maybethereisstil
4、lwateronMars,onlyithasgoneunderground.Couldtherebetinylifeforms,likebacteria,onMarsevennow?NASA'sMarsExplorationProgramisabout"FollowingtheWater."EvenifwedonotfindlifeonMars,ifthereiswater,perhapssomedayMarscouldbeinhabitedbyus!FlowingwaterseemstohavebeenatworkonMars'surface,asshowni
5、nthesefourimages.NASA'sexplorationofMarshasfourgoals:FindoutwhetherlifeeverexistedonMars.NASAscientistswilllookforwater,placeswherelivingthingsmightuseheatenergyfromunderground,signsofcarbon,whichisanelementneededforlifeasweknowit.AfewscientiststhinktheMarsmeteoriteinthispictureshows
6、signsthattinylifeformsmighthaveexistedonMars.LearnabouttheclimateonMars.ScientistswhostudytheMartianclimatewillstudythemeltingandfreezingofthepolaricecapsandthemanyduststormsonMars,liketheoneinthisimage.LearnaboutthegeologyonMars.GeologistswillstudyMartianrocks,volcanoes(likeOlympusM
7、ons,showninthisimage,thelargestvolcanointhesolarsystem!),craters,valleys,ridges,cracks,crannies,andotherlandformationstotrytofigureouthowtheywereformed.PrepareforhumanstogotoMars!NASAwilldeveloptechnologies,perhapslikesomeshowninthispainting,tohelphumanssurvivetheharshMartianenvironm
8、ent.—Fromspa
