The Libya Montes are a ring of mountains up-lifted by the giant impact that created the Isidis basin to the north. During 1999, this region became one of the top two that were being considered for the now-canceled Mars Surveyor 2001 lander. The Isidis basin is very, very ancient. Thus, the mountains that form its rims would contain some of the oldest rocks available at the martian surface, and a landing in this region might potentially provide information about conditions on early Mars.
April 28th, 2000
School kids will get chance to involve in NASA’s `Mars mission’ The Times of India
For the first time school kids from India along with their counterparts in different parts of the world will get a chance to participate in NASA’s mission to Mars in 2001 if they get through a tough selection process. The project involves students taking part in the planetary mission at a simulated Mars base on earth located in the U.S.
April 24th, 2000
April 7, 2001: NASA Returns to Mars
NASA will launch a $135 million satellite to Mars on April 7, 2001, marking the U.S. space agency
March 16th, 2000
JPL Won’t Skimp on Mars ’01
On the heels of a NASA report that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), by limiting its engagement, was unable to provide oversight that might have prevented the demise of the Mars Climate Orbiter, a top JPL official pledged that things will be different next time.
February 18th, 2000
‘Marie Curie’ Dumped from Mars ’01 Mission
If a lander spacecraft is sent to Mars in 2001, it will not carry a mini-rover like the Sojourner that so thrilled the public on the Mars Pathfinder mission in July 1997.
January 17th, 2000
JPL goes back to the drawing board for Mars missions
The smart people who run NASA’s Mars exploration program are still, well, smarting after they went 0 for the ’98 season. But there isn’t much time for self-pity in their business. In little more than a year, the third and fourth rocks from the sun will once again be in the proper alignment for an Earth to Mars chip-shot. So, instead of hand wringing, the Jet Propulsion Lab brain-trust is busy coming up with a Plan B (as in Better). Forget about Cheaper and Faster for now.
December 21st, 1999
Future Planning for NASA Mars Exploration May Be Revised The Planetary Society
In the aftermath of the Mars Polar Lander and Climate Orbiter losses, NASA is intensely reviewing its Mars Surveyor program. The current plan calls for an orbiter and lander in 2001, with a Sojourner-like rover and robotic arm for soil sampling.
December 18th, 1999
2001 Lander Feels First Hurt From Polar Lander Loss
Leaders of NASA’s Mars Surveyor 2001 mission may be making a number of design changes to minimize the chances that whatever failure doomed the Mars Polar Lander doesn’t recur with the 2001 lander. The 2001 lander is the primary target of a top-to-bottom examination because it is essentially a copy of the Polar Lander.
December 2nd, 1999
Eye Drops Into Martian Sky
As explosive charges detonate around the Mars Polar Lander to help it break out of the cocoon of its cruise configuration, a downward-gazing camera will be snapping pictures of the martian polar landscape. It will take a series of still images starting about 4 miles (a little more than 6 kilometers) above the southern polar terrain.
November 15th, 1999
How on earth do you lure little green tourists?
A former mining town in the north-east of England is taking the brave step of pitching for visitors from Mars. The town’s chamber of trade organised the move by replying to a Nasa advert for material to be included on the Mars 2001 Lander expedition.