Mars ‘air’ found thinner

The atmosphere on Mars is as thin as the earthly air 15 miles above the surface, the American Meteorological Society meeting in Los Angeles was told. Martian “air” is mostly nitrogen, with a little carbon dioxide and traces of oxygen and water vapor, unlike that on earth. The Martian atmosphere has now been found to be about a third as dense as previously believed. The finding has forced scientists to revise their designs of capsules that could land on Mars…. A thinner Martian atmosphere means designing a parachute system that will operate at such a low pressure or allowing more weight for retro-rockets to slow the capsule.