The Mars Global Surveyor mission is an important one. Launched November
6, 1996 on a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Surveyor
will arrive at Mars 10 months later on September 15, 1997. In late January
1998 the spacecraft will explore the atmosphere and terrain of Mars
to produce maps of surface topography, mineral distribution and climate.
It will also relay signals from other landers and probes for three more
years.
Surveyor is the first in a series of Mars-bound orbiter-lander pairs
that will be launched every 26 months for a decade. It is hoped that
the Mars Surveyor program will not only provide valuable information
about Mars for years to come, but that it will aid in the development
of new technologies for future missions.
