NASA to examine entire Mars program, could delay future missions. Though the chance of success is now slim, NASA scientists are still trying to contact the missing Mars Polar Lander, and those efforts will continue for two weeks.
December 7th, 1999
Lessons to be learned from success, failure Space Today
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Local scientists said Monday they were disappointed at the apparent failure of the Mars Polar Lander but hope exploration of the planet continues. “Scientifically, this was a very, very interesting and exciting mission,” said Bart Lipofsky, a professor of physics and astronomy at Brevard Community College. “It’s a serious loss.”
December 7th, 1999
Loss of lander would prompt review Space Today
As hope of contacting the missing Mars Polar Lander faded Monday, NASA officials prepared to confront the reality of a costly failure and the likelihood of a top-to-bottom review of the next voyage to the Red Planet.
December 7th, 1999
Silence on Mars as NASA’s ‘last silver bullet’ misses mark
What controllers billed as their last chance to hear from the Mars Polar Lander passed amid unbroken silence from the planet Tuesday as NASA squarely faced the prospect that the craft was lost.
December 6th, 1999
Another silent night for Mars Polar Lander scientists Space Today
NASA didn’t get a signal again Sunday from its Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, as hope waned that the probe safely reached the planet’s south pole last week. Two grim possibilities remain: The spacecraft is intact but hobbled by potentially serious problems or it was destroyed in a failed landing attempt Friday.
December 6th, 1999
Hope Fades for Mars Polar Lander
With hope fading fast for the Mars Polar Lander, NASA investigators may have to face the possibility of never really knowing what went wrong with the spacecraft 157 million miles from Earth.
December 6th, 1999
Fears That All Is Lost as Lander Stays Silent New York Times
A critical attempt to communicate with the missing Mars Polar Lander Sunday brought nothing but more interplanetary silence and the growing fear that the spacecraft and its $165 million mission are beyond recovery.
December 6th, 1999
Mars 2 – Earth 0
We’ve been here before. Failure is nothing new in spaceflight and there is nothing that can be done about it. But is the probable loss of the Mars Polar Lander (MPL) an “acceptable” failure?
December 5th, 1999
Mars Polar Lander Mission Status
Mission controllers for NASA’s Mars Polar Lander have revised their strategy as they continue trying to make contact with the spacecraft. “We’re nearing the point where we’ve used up our final silver bullets,” said the mission’s project manager, Richard Cook of JPL, after Sunday night’s unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the spacecraft.