Mars Global Surveyor
One of the highlights of our space program took place this past July the Fourth, when an unmanned spacecraft bounced and landed on the Martian surface. The pictures that were transmitted to earth were truly spectacular. But, Pathfinder, the little spacecraft that could, has ceased operation. Its mission is over. Now it is time to go on to the next one.
The Family Site today looks at the next spacecraft to head towards Mars. It is called The Mars Global Surveyor. With all the fanfare surrounding Pathfinder, this ship quietly slipped into orbit around the Red Planet, and has begun photographing the surface. One of the main uses for these photographs will be to construct accurate maps for a manned landing and later exploration of the planet. At this site, one can view those pictures. One area that is fun is to look at the actual spacecraft telemetry. There is a key provided to help the user interpret what they are seeing. It gives a real you-are-there reality to the site.
It is inevitable that man will eventually land on Mars. It is only a question of when, not if. These early investigative missions are fun to watch, and with technology, fun to participate in. Have fun at this site.