The purpose was to test the performance of MOLA after the stresses associated with launch. The blue curve shows temperature measured at the electronics box, the red curve shows laser temperature.
Temperatures vary while the instrument is off due to solar radiation and heater cycles.
The laser fired at 10 Hz during the nearly two-hour test, with nominal output performance. A telescope at GSFC was unable to acquire the laser pulses due to rainy conditions. MOLA responded by increasing threshold levels in a programmed, adaptive fashion. The experiment confirmed the health of the detector and software system. Information obtained from the scan was used to help quantify MGS spacecraft pointing knowledge.