Mars Lander Wreckage Apparently Spotted | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.06.24

Airborne-NextGen-04.30.24

 Airborne-Unlimited-05.01.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers--05.02.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.03.24

Fri, May 06, 2005

Mars Lander Wreckage Apparently Spotted

Orbiter Sees What Looks Like A Parachute

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor may have found the wreckage of the Mars Polar Lander, an exploration vehicle that went missing just as it was supposed to touch down on the surface of the Red Planet.

New imaging techniques that vastly enhance the resolution of the Mars Orbiter Camera aboard Global Surveyor have already been credited with finding the landing sites of both Viking missions, which sent some of the earliest pictures from the Martian surface back to Earth in 1976.

Now, NASA says the MOC has spotted what may be the wreckage of the doomed lander, missing since 1999.

An investigation into what went wrong with the MPL concluded the spacecraft's legs deployed early, perhaps sending a false signal to shut down the lander's rocket brakes. The lander then may have simply dropped the 130-feet or so and crashed on the surface.

The problem with the MPL was that it had no way of reporting what went wrong as it was happening. Now, more than five years after it was lost, scientists hope they can gain some insight into what exactly went wrong.

FMI: www.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.09.24): Hold Procedure

Hold Procedure A predetermined maneuver which keeps aircraft within a specified airspace while awaiting further clearance from air traffic control. Also used during ground operatio>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.06.24): Altitude Readout

Altitude Readout An aircraft’s altitude, transmitted via the Mode C transponder feature, that is visually displayed in 100-foot increments on a radar scope having readout cap>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.06.24)

Aero Linx: European Hang Gliding and Paragliding Union (EHPU) The general aim of the EHPU is to promote and protect hang gliding and paragliding in Europe. In order to achieve this>[...]

Airborne-NextGen 05.07.24: AI-Piloted F-16, AgEagle, 1st 2 WorldView Sats

Also: Skydio Chief, Uncle Sam Sues, Dash 7 magniX, OR UAS Accelerator US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall was given a turn around the patch in the 'X-62A Variable In-flight>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.07.24)

"The need for innovation at speed and scale is greater than ever. The X-62A VISTA is a crucial platform in our efforts to develop, test and integrate AI, as well as to establish AI>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne-Flight Training 05.09.24: ERAU at AIAA, LIFT Diamond Buy, Epic A&P

Airborne 05.08.24: Denali Update, Dad-Daughter Gyro, Lake SAIB

Airborne-NextGen 05.07.24: AI-Piloted F-16, AgEagle, 1st 2 WorldView Sats

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC