By combining three image mosaics, scientists have generated a donut-shaped picture with an overhead view of NASA’s highly successfull and hugely popular Mars Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover on the surface of the Red Planet.
September 5th, 2000
Major Martian volcanoes surveyed by laser Spaceflight Now
NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently orbiting the Red Planet carries the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument. MOLA transmits infrared laser pulses towards Mars and measures the time of flight to determine the range of the spacecraft to the surface below. Scientists can then use the measurements to develop a precise topographic map of the terrain.
June 10th, 2000
NASA probe explores ‘Martian Monument Valley’ Spaceflight Now
This recent Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera image shows mesas and smaller buttes that occur on the Elysium Plains, approximately 185 miles south of the Cerberus region in the Martian eastern hemisphere. Like the world-famous Monument Valley located in the Navajo Nation on the border of Arizona and Utah, this “Martian Monument Valley” consists of a series of mesas and buttes that have formed by erosion of layered bedrock.
May 31st, 2000
Global Surveyor sees odd feature on Martian surface Spaceflight Now
The Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera narrow angle image shows what, at first glance, might look like a “hot crossed bun” on the martian northern plains.
May 29th, 2000
Mysterious Martian ridges Spaceflight Now
One of the most puzzling findings of the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera investigation has been the discovery of many surfaces of sharp, parallel ridges and grooves that — at first glance — look like dunes, but upon closer inspection turn out to be something else.
May 24th, 2000
Surveyor views landing site for now-nixed 2001 probe Spaceflight Now
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.
May 2nd, 2000
Mystery surrounding Martian organic matter deepens Spaceflight Now
In 1976, two superbly designed robotic emissaries from the earth soft-landed on the rock-strewn surface of another world in search of life. After conducting three biology experiments, the American Viking missions to Mars concluded that they could neither confirm nor refute the presence of biological entities.
March 23rd, 2000
Engineers tackle real-life ‘Mission’ to fix spacecraft Spaceflight Now
NASA engineer Steve Hall and a team of researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., are hard at work on a real-life hull-puncture repair kit — one that will protect lives and vehicles as humans venture into space for longer periods of time.
March 14th, 2000
Sloppy management blamed for Mars Climate Orbiter loss Spaceflight Now
An independent review board blames the loss of NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter last year on sloppy project management, a lack of agency oversight, poor communications and shortsighted engineering. To avoid similar mishaps in the future, the board called for NASA to adopt a “mission success first” approach, one in which the emphasis is clearly on the word “success.”