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As part of the less expensive and more experimental premise of the Mars Surveyor Program, Mars Global Surveyor was the first to use the procedure of aerobraking. Aerobraking is when the atmosphere is used to slow the spacecraft sufficiently so that it can be placed into its desired orbit. This procedure was experimental, and was further complicated by the failure of one of the two solar panels on MGS. This complication delayed the beginning of MGS mapping, but scientists were able to work around the complication quite successfully, bringing MGS into the near-circular, low-altitude orbit required for mapping of the Martian surface. Mapping was delayed by about a year, but MGS has still returned high-resolution images of the Martian surface and large amounts of data which will help scientists refine their models of the Martian atmosphere. Also among the important new results from the mission is the definite confirmation of the presence of a Martian magnetosphere. As of April 25, 2001, all systems on the MGS probe were functioning nominally. The spacecraft has been in space 1,631 days and has completed 9,530 mapping orbits of Mars! And MGS is still going strong!
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Return to the Exploration of Mars
Mars Global Surveyor Image Archive
MGS and Mars Pathfinder (MPF for short) were part of the Mars Surveyor Program. As part of this new, cheaper, but more experimental program, a new technique called aerobraking was used to get the MGS probe into the correct orbit around Mars. MGS has already returned great pictures of the Martian surface and data which will help scientists refine their models of the Martian atmosphere. Among the important new results from the mission is the definite confirmation of the presence of a Martian magnetosphere. As of April 25, 2001, all systems on the MGS probe were working just fine. The spacecraft has been in space 1,631 days and has completed 9,530 mapping orbits of Mars! And MGS is still going strong!
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Return to the Exploration of Mars
Mars Global Surveyor Image Archive
MGS and the Mars Pathfinder (MPF for short), were both part of theMars Surveyor Program. MGS has already sent tons of data back to Earth. This data is helping scientists understand the surface and atmosphere of Mars. MGS also made sure there was a Martian magnetosphere. As of April 25, 2001, the MGS was still going strong! The spacecraft has been in space 1,631 days and has completed 9,530 mapping orbits of Mars!
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Return to the Exploration of Mars
Mars Global Surveyor Image Archive
