Mars Surveyor '98

Mars Surveyor '98 is the second set of orbiter/lander missions. It will include the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander.

Mars Climate Orbiter

The Mars Climate Orbiter, like the Global Surveyor, will hold a variety of scientific instruments for study. It will also serve as a relay for the Mars Polar Lander. The orbiter is set to launch aboard a Delta II rocket December 10, 1998 and enter into Mars orbit on September 23, 1999. The 643 kg spacecraft will study the Martian climate. There are two main instruments.

Science Instruments

PMIRR (Pressure Modulator Infrared Radiometer) will conduct the weather experiments. It will measure atmospheric pressure, moisture and dust, and to quantify Mars' surface radiative balance.

MARCI (Mars Color Imager) will image the Martian surface with wide and medium-angle lenses.

Mars Polar Lander

The Mars Polar Lander will launch on January 3, 1999 and land on December 3, 1999. The lander is different from Pathfinder because it will not carry a rover. Instead, its main mission is to heat up the Martian soil and detect any volatiles in it. The Polar Lander will also carry the 2 New Millennium Probes (Deep Space 2).

Science Instruments

MARDI (Mars Descent Imager) will image the surface as the lander descends through the
atmosphere.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) will send out radar to detect any dust hazes or ice on the surface.

MVACS (Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor) has four instruments in the package:

- SSI (Stereo Surface Imager) will image the surface, the magnetic experiment and the sun.
- RA and RAC (Robotic Arm and Arm Camera) are two instruments with interesting purposes. RA will dig into and collect Martian soil for TEGA and measure surface temperature. RAC can image above and below the surface.
- MET (Meteorological Package) has almost the same purpose as Pathfinder's ASI/MET. MET, on the contrary, has two masts, one that can measure on the saltation layer. In addition, it has a water vapor and isotope detector.
- TEGA (Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer) measures volatiles in the Martian soil. Soil from the Robotic Arm will be placed into a receptacle. It is then heated in an oven to detect the evolving gases.

A microphone will be included on the lander to detect any sounds on the Martian surface. There will probably be little sound because of the low density of the atmosphere.

DS2 (Deep Space 2) or the New Millennium Microprobes are two separate aeroshells. They will be released by the lander while landing. The probes will slam down up to 2 metres into the Martian surface and will find any water that might be there.