EXPLORE


JOINRENEWJOIN

Give a Gift Membership
  

Space Topics: Mars Global Surveyor

Mission Objectives

Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) was designed to be a rapid, low-cost recovery of the Mars Observer mission objectives. After a successful launch, Mars Observer suddenly ceased communicating with Earth only three days before it was due to arrive at Mars in 1993. MGS achieved full mission success by January 2001, and successfully:

  • obtained high-resolution images of the surface
  • mapped the global topography and gravity
  • Studied the role of water and dust on the surface and in the atmosphere of Mars
  • studied the weather and climate of Mars
  • better determined the composition of the surface and atmosphere
  • detected the existence and theorized evolution of the Martian crustal magnetic field

MGS began its extended mission on February 1, 2001 and operated until November 5, 2006:

  • collecting new images
  • functioning as a Mars weather satellite
  • serving as a communications relay for the Mars Exploration Rovers