Meteorites from Mars Several meteorites found in Antarctica are believed to have come from Mars, including the famous ALH84001 meteorite that some believe contains fossils of ancient life on Mars. Meteorites from Mars are thought to get to Earth by being blasted off the Martian surface when a large object (such as an asteroid or a comet) crashes into the planet.

What speed must a rock have to escape Mars?

mV^2/2 = G*Mmars*m/Rmars

V^2 = 2*G*Mmars/Rmars
= 2*g'*Rmars
where G is the universal gravity constant and g' is the acceleration of gravity on Mars. Rmars is the radius of mars.

To calculate the speed required for a rock to escape Mars, we can use the concept of escape velocity. Escape velocity is the minimum velocity an object must achieve to escape the gravitational pull of a planet.

The escape velocity of Mars can be calculated using the formula:
Ve = sqrt(2 * G * M / R)

Where:
Ve is the escape velocity
G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 × 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2)
M is the mass of Mars (approximately 6.39 × 10^23 kg)
R is the radius of Mars (approximately 3.37 × 10^6 m)

Plugging in these values, we can calculate the escape velocity of Mars:

Ve = sqrt(2 * 6.674 × 10^-11 * 6.39 × 10^23 / 3.37 × 10^6)

Calculating this result, we find that the escape velocity of Mars is approximately 5.03 km/s (kilometers per second).

Therefore, for a rock to escape Mars, it would need to have a velocity of at least 5.03 km/s. Any object with a speed greater than this value would be able to overcome the gravitational pull of Mars and travel into space.

To escape the gravitational pull of Mars, a rock must reach a speed of about 5 kilometers per second (11,200 miles per hour) at its surface. This is known as the escape velocity of Mars. However, the exact speed required to escape Mars may vary depending on factors such as the rock's starting point and the planet's atmospheric conditions.