The orbiter will also act as a communications relay for future missions to Mars. It will search the Martian surface for geological features that could indicate the presence of water, now or in the past, and may contribute toward understanding what will be necessary for a more sophisticated exploration of Mars. This fact sheet provides an overview of the mission, science goals, and a list of science instruments. This document is in PDF format and requires the Adobe Acrobat reader software . In 2003, two powerful new Mars rovers will be on their way to the red planet.
Materials here reveal facts, missions, and educational resources about Mars.
The Mars Observer spacecraft was to be the first U.S. spacecraft to study Mars since the Viking missions 18 years ago. The Mars Observer spacecraft fell silent just 3 days prior to entering orbit around Mars. Research - This area contains information regarding primitive life research of the planet Mars. Learn how a NASA-funded team found the first organic molecules thought to be of Martian origin. Viking - Viking was designed to orbit Mars and to land and operate on the planet's surface.