火星研究的近期进展(英文)

RECENT ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF MARS

火星研究的历史可分为望远镜探测阶段和宇宙飞船探测阶段。本文简短回顾了Ｍａｒｉｎｅｒ４宇宙飞船（１９６５），Ｍａｒｉｎｅｒ６和７（１９６９），Ｍａｒｉｎｅｒ９（１９７１）和Ｖｉｋｉｎｇ１和２（１９７６）等的探测成果。火星探路者飞船是海盗２号以后的第一个火星着陆器，它于１９９６年下半年发射升空，于１９９７年７月１４日在火星表面着陆。通过火星探路者飞船对火星所做的分析，可以得出的结论是：（１）在火星的历史中已存在着水，因此，火星在过去曾是富水的、温暖的和潮湿的；（２）火星表面有许多火山口及火山，但没有大陆；（３）在火星上既有镁铁质岩石，也有硅质岩石；（４）火星的气候曾一度是温和的，有厚厚的大气圈及流水，这在过去有可能是一种能维持生命的环境。

The history of Mars study may be divided into the telescopic exploration stage and the spacecraft exploration stage. The research works made respectively by the Mariner 4 spacecraft (1965), the Mariner 6 and 7 (1969), the Mariner 9(1971), and the Viking 1 and 2(1976) are reviewed briefly. Mars Pathfinder is the first Mars lander after landing of the Pirate, which was launched in late 1996 and landed on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. Through the analyses made by Mars Pathfinder, it is concluded that: (1) liquid water may have existed in the history of Mars and it might be a water rich planet with a warmer and wetter past; (2) there are many craters and volcanoes in Mars' surface but no continents; (3) both mafic igneous rocks and siliceous rocks occur in Mars; (4) the Mars' climate was mild once, with a thicker atmosphere and flowing water, which was possibly a life supporting environment.