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-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.14.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.15.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.16.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.17.24

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 (05.16.24): Instrument Runway

Instrument Runway A runway equipped with electronic and visual navigation aids for which a precision or nonprecision approach procedure having straight-in landing minimums has been>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.16.24)

Aero Linx: Alaska Airmen's Association The Alaska Airmen's Association includes over 2,000 members—we are one of the largest General Aviation communities in the country. We s>[...]

Airborne 05.15.24: Ghost Sq MidAir, B-2 Junked, Dream Chaser Readies

Also: Flt School Security, G600 Steep-Approach, Honduran Aid, PW545D Cert Two aircraft performing at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show clipped wings during a routine last Sunday, spooki>[...]

Airborne 05.10.24: Icon Auction, Drunk MedEvac Pilot, Bell ALFA

Also: SkyReach Parts Support, Piper Service Ctr, Airliner Near-Miss, Airshow London The Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 >[...]

Airborne Affordable Flyers 05.16.24: PRA Runway, Wag-Aero Sold, Young Eagles

Also: Paramotor Champ's, Electric Ultralight, ICON BK Update, Burt Rutan at Oshkosh! The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

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