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Projects: Planetary Microphones

Sounds on Mars

The goal of the Mars Microphone experiment, as its name implies, is to develop acoustic sensors -- microphones -- to record sounds on the surface of Mars. Given that sound waves need an atmospheric medium through which to travel, many people are surprised to learn that any sounds at all can be heard on Mars. The atmospheric pressure on the surface of the Red Planet is small, amounting to less than 1 percent of Earth's sea level pressure. But even at Mars' low pressure, acoustic signals within the frequency range of the human ear can be detected. And while the atmosphere of Mars is very different from Earth's, consisting mostly of carbon dioxide, there are similarities between these environments that should make the sound data worthwhile.

What would humans
sound like on Mars?

We phoned several friends of The Planetary Society and asked them to share their thoughts and greetings "from Mars" with us. We then ran their voices through our "Marsinator" to simulate the effect of the Martian atmosphere on their voices -- with sometimes hilarious results.

Bill Nye
the Science Guy
on Earth - on Mars

Ray Bradbury
author and Planetary Society Advisor
on Earth - on Mars

James Cameron
director, producer, and writer
on Earth - on Mars

Bruce Betts
Planetary Society Director of Projects
on Earth - on Mars

Donna Shirley
Planetary Society Advisor and
former JPL Engineer
on Earth - on Mars

For example, there is weather on Mars, including winds, sandstorms, and dust devils, which are little tornadoes caused by local weather patterns. The Mars Microphone may be able to hear these winds and perhaps even a type of lightning within sandstorms. The microphone will also record noises made by a lander, such as the sound of a robotic arm digging for soil samples.    The microphone can be triggered randomly by naturally occurring sounds or it can be programmed to listen to specific lander actions.

However, the most exciting sounds are likely to be ones that we don't even know about yet. Experience has demonstrated that whenever a new instrument is developed and flown in space, we learn something new about extraterrestrial environments, and therein lies the true spirit of the Mars Microphone concept.  The instrument will also bring the public closer to Mars exploration. The sounds picked up by the Mars Microphone will be available to the public so that anyone will be able to hear for themselves what it sounds like on Mars.