5: The formation and evolution of our solar system and the Earth

Understand the formation and evolution of the solar system and the Earth within it

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The Earth and other bodies in the solar system formed at about the same time and from the same material—a disk of gas and dust encircling the Sun. But the outer “gas giant” planets are very different from the “rocky” planets of the inner solar system. And the inner planets, although similar in size, have dramatically differing atmospheres and surface properties. Why? Mars is the most Earth-like planet in the solar system, with a mysterious past probably very unlike its dry and airless present. It appears to have once had abundant water, a key ingredient of life on Earth. To try to confirm this, NASA will continue to pursue a long-range series of Mars orbiters and landers, including two landers in the 2003 launch opportunity and eventually a sample return.

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