Data from the forebody will be collected and relayed to Mars Global Surveyor, which is currently orbiting Mars on a mission to map the planet. Deep Space 2's scientific objectives complement those of the Mars Polar Lander. Top of Page Several spacecraft around a planet could give scientists valuable information about different locations on a planet, as well as provide the kind of information that a single spacecraft could not. A network of meteorological stations on Mars could help scientists understand the atmosphere of the planet. Penetrators deployed around a planet can give scientists information about the rocks and soil in many locations, rather than in just one or two.
Standard spacecraft are too large, and therefore too costly, to launch in large numbers.
In contrast, dozens of miniaturized spacecraft could be launched at an affordable cost. Thus the Deep Space 2 probes could pave the way to make networks of scientific stations on other planets a reality. It was discovered on the Allan Hills ice field in Antarctica in 1984. The geochemical composition of the gas trapped within the rock is such a close match to the unique composition of the Martian atmosphere that it provides solid evidence that the rock comes from Mars. The rock formed beneath the Martian surface 4.5 billion years ago, and thus dates back to a very early period in the formation of Mars.