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The Mars Surveyor '98 Climate Orbiter, which is entering the final stages of testing this summer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO, is shown here during acoustic tests that simulate launch conditions. The orbiter will conduct a two- year primary mission to profile the Martian atmosphere and map the surface. To carry out these scientific objectives, the spacecraft will carry a rebuilt version of the pressure-modulated infrared radiometer, lost with the Mars Observer spacecraft, and a miniaturized dual camera system the size of a pair of binoculars, provided by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA. During its primary mission, the orbiter will monitor Mars' atmosphere and surface globally on a daily basis for one Martian year (two Earth years), observing the appearance and movement of atmospheric dust and water vapor, as well as characterizing seasonal changes of the planet's surface. Imaging of the surface morphology will also provide important clues about the planet's climate in its early history. The mission is part of NASA's Mars Surveyor program, a sustained program of robotic exploration of the red planet, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. Lockheed Martin Astronautics is NASA's industrial partner in the mission. Photo copyright 1998, Lockheed Martin #####
Description
The Mars Surveyor '98 Climate Orbiter, which is entering the final stages of testing this summer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO, is shown here during acoustic tests that simulate launch conditions. The orbiter will conduct a two- year primary mission to profile the Martian atmosphere and map the surface. To carry out these scientific objectives, the spacecraft will carry a rebuilt version of the pressure-modulated infrared radiometer, lost with the Mars Observer spacecraft, and a miniaturized dual camera system the size of a pair of binoculars, provided by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA. During its primary mission, the orbiter will monitor Mars' atmosphere and surface globally on a daily basis for one Martian year (two Earth years), observing the appearance and movement of atmospheric dust and water vapor, as well as characterizing seasonal changes of the planet's surface. Imaging of the surface morphology will also provide important clues about the planet's climate in its early history. The mission is part of NASA's Mars Surveyor program, a sustained program of robotic exploration of the red planet, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. Lockheed Martin Astronautics is NASA's industrial partner in the mission. Photo copyright 1998, Lockheed Martin #####
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