Ryan Carter
The Mars Polar Lander, which sent JPL scientists into orbit when it
failed to communicate with earth after entering the Martian atmosphere,
was part of a decade-long project to explore our celestial neighbor. The
following is a brief synposis of the program through which the Mars Polar
Lander was built.
* WHAT: The Mars Polar Lander is part of NASA's Mars Surveyor Program.
* WHEN: The program was created in 1994, with the goal to send a
spacecraft to Mars every 26 months for 10 years.
* FIRST LAUNCH: The Mars Global Surveyor was launched in 1996, and is
orbiting the planet now.
* PATHFINDER: The Mars Pathfinder mission was also a part of the
Surveyor program. The effort was deemed a success after it landed on Mars
on July 4, 1997. It studied the surface of the planet.
* ORBITER: Mars Climate Orbiter, a $125-million mission, was also part
of the Surveyor Program. The orbiter burned up when it entered the
Martian atmosphere in September. A NASA investigation concluded a
miscommunication of measurement units caused the craft to fly off course.
After the loss of the orbiter, the Surveyor was to be used to relay data
from the lander to Earth.
* PARTNERS: Denver-based Lockheed Martin Astronautics is a partner
with JPL in building and operating the Surveyor program's spacecrafts and
missions.
