Mars Polar Lander

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

20:21:00

Sunday January 3, 1999

Watch Replay

24/7 Coverage

Mission Details

Mars Polar Lander

Wiki

The Mars Polar Lander, also known as the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander, was a robotic spacecraft lander launched by NASA on January 3, 1999, to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the south pole on Mars. It formed part of the Mars Surveyor '98 mission. The launch mass of the spacecraft is approximately 583 kg, including 64 kg of fuel, an 82 kg cruise stage, a 140 kg aeroshell/heatshield, and the two 3.5 kg microprobes. On December 3, 1999, however, after the descent phase was expected to be complete, the lander failed to reestablish communication with Earth. A post-mortem analysis determined the most likely cause of the mishap was the premature termination of the engine firing prior to the lander touching the surface, causing it to strike the planet at a high velocity.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

583 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Delta II 7425

Active 1998 to 2002

United Launch Alliance logo

Manufacturer

ULA

Rocket

Height: 38.1m

Payload to Orbit

GTO: 1,110 kg

Liftoff Thrust

3,020 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 2.9m

Height: 8.49m

Stages

3

Strap-ons

4

Launch Site

SLC-17B

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

20 days 2 hours

Stats

Delta II


78th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1999

1999


1st

Orbital launch attempt