| Mars
Surveyor
'98: Mars Polar Lander |
 |
| The Mars Polar Lander
was to touch down on the southern polar layered terrain, less than 1000 km from the
Martian south
pole, near the edge of the carbon dioxide ice cap in Mars' late southern spring.
Mission objectives were to: (1) record weather conditions near the Martian south pole,
including temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, surface frost, ground ice evolution, ice
fogs, haze, and dust; (2) analyze samples of the polar deposits for water and carbon
dioxide; (3) dig trenches to look for seasonal layers and analyze soil samples for water,
ice, and water-deposited minerals; (4) image the surroundings for evidence of climate
changes and seasonal cycles; and (5) obtain images of the soil to determine type and
composition. Spacecraft The Mars Polar Lander had a number of scientific instruments, including an instrument package comprised of a robotic arm and attached camera, an imager, a meteorology package, and a gas analyzer. In addition, the Mars descent imager was planned to capture images from parachute deployment (at about 8 km altitude) down to the landing. The Russian Space Agency provided for the lander a laser ranger package that would be used to measure dust and haze in the Martian atmosphere. A miniature microphone was also onboard to record for the first time sounds on Mars. Attached to the lander spacecraft were a pair of small probes, the Deep Space 2 Mars microprobes, which were to be deployed to fall and penetrate beneath the Martian surface when the spacecraft reached Mars.
During surface operations communications would be via the Mars Climate Surveyor orbiter, which would have functioned as a relay to Earth. Power was provided during cruise phase by two solar array wings. After landing, solar arrays would have deployed. Power would have been stored in nickel-hydride batteries for peak load operations and nighttime heating.
|
|
