Astrophysics (Index)About

Mars Polar Lander

(MPL, Mars Surveyor '98 Lander)
(failed 1999 Mars lander mission)

Mars Polar Lander (MPL) was a NASA spacecraft launched in 1999 intended to land on Mars, which failed to communicate after landing. It was one of two separately-launched spacecraft in NASA's Mars Surveyor '98 project, the other spacecraft being the Mars Climate Orbiter, which also lost communication, famously after receiving instructions based upon the wrong units. Mars Polar Lander instruments:

Mars Polar Lander also carried two identical probes, Deep Space 2 A and B, that were released to impact the surface, to measure descent, impact, soil conductivity, and detect any water. These also communicated nothing.


(spacecraft,Mars,NASA,past)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Polar_Lander
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_%2798
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/polar-lander/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/mars-polar-lander-deep-space-2/in-depth/

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