Boots on the Ground: Space Landers and Rovers Quiz

If a spacecraft is designed to stay exactly where it touches down to perform science, it is a lander. If it is equipped with a chassis and wheels to explore different locations, then it is a rover.

If Mars is millions of miles away, then light-speed signals take minutes to arrive. If a rover sees a cliff, it cannot wait for a human on Earth to tell it to stop; therefore, it must have the "brain" to make its own safety decisions.

If scientists want to test for past life on a rocky surface within our reach, and if Mars provides those conditions, then it is the primary target for robotic touchdown missions.

If a rover relies on the Sun, then a massive dust storm or a long winter will cut off its energy. If it uses a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), then it creates heat and electricity from decaying atoms, allowing it to work regardless of the weather.

If a robot needs to send data to Earth, it needs an antenna. If it needs to study rocks, it needs instruments. If it needs to stay upright or move, it needs legs or wheels. If it needs to navigate, it needs cameras.

If space is a vacuum with high radiation, it is deadly for humans. If a robot is used instead, then the mission costs less and no human lives are at risk while still gathering valuable data.

If a gas giant like Jupiter lacks a solid crust and consists of thick layers of gas and liquid, then there is no solid ground for a lander to sit on; therefore, a landing mission is impossible.

If a spacecraft is falling at thousands of miles per hour, it needs friction to slow down. If it deploys a large fabric canopy to catch the thin Martian air, then that device is a parachute.

If Curiosity is a "mobile laboratory," then it is designed to analyze soil and chemistry. If it finds evidence of ancient water and organic molecules, then it has proven the environment was once habitable for life.

If a trip to Saturn takes 7 years, a human would need a massive supply of food. If the radiation is intense, humans would get sick. Since robots don't eat and can be shielded, they are the logical choice for long-distance travel.

If InSight uses a seismometer to listen for deep planetary vibrations, and if those vibrations are best measured by staying perfectly still, then the craft must be a stationary lander.

If a spacecraft is built to land, it usually uses all its fuel just to get there and slow down. If it doesn't have a massive launch rocket attached to it, then it is a one-way mission and will stay on that planet forever.

If we look at the history of mobile exploration, and if the 1997 mission used a base station and a tiny rover named Sojourner, then that mission was Mars Pathfinder.

If temperatures on Mars drop to -100 degrees Celsius, electronic parts will break. If the rover has internal heaters powered by its battery and specialized insulation, then it can keep its "vital organs" warm enough to survive.

If a mission is scientific, it will use drills, cameras, and sensors to gather data about the environment. If there is no life or air, then planting crops is not a task for these robots.

If the original engineering goal was a short 3-month mission, and if the robots were so well-built that they continued to function for years (Opportunity lasted 15 years), then the statement is true.

If a rover needs to drive over uneven ground without tipping over, and if its six wheels are attached to a jointed frame that keeps them all on the ground, then that system is called Rocker-Bogie.

If the "Mars Sample Return" plan involves a future rocket picking up tubes left by a rover, and if those tubes are meant for study in human labs, then the destination is Earth.

If we are identifying actual landing or driving hardware, then the Viking landers and the Spirit/Perseverance rovers qualify. Voyager 1 is a "flyby" probe that never landed, and the Falcon is fictional.

If a spacecraft is landing autonomously, any large rock or steep slope could cause it to flip. If a flat, clear plain is chosen, then the risk of a mission-ending crash is significantly reduced.