Mars Says: Go Away.For the second time in two months, the U.S. space agency lost contact with a spacecraft as it approached Mars on an exploratory mission. The Mars Polar Lander The Mars Polar Lander was part of the NASA Mars Surveyor '98 program, which consisted of two spacecraft launched separately, the Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter) and the Mars Polar Lander (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander). fell mysteriously silent in December as it entered the planet's atmosphere en route to a landing. For seven days, officials at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), (NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration.NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. ) tried to reestablish contact, but without success. The failed lander mission followed the loss in September of the Mars Climate Orbiter The Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter) was one of two spacecraft in the Mars Surveyor '98 program, the other being the Mars Polar Lander (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander). , which flew off course and was destroyed. NASA is investigating possible causes for the latest failure, including budget constraints that may have led the agency to cut corners on the lander's design. Then again, maybe the Martians just didn't want us bugging them. |
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