description Mars Polar Lander Overview
Mars Polar Lander was a NASA spacecraft launched in January 1999 to study the layered terrain near Mars's south pole, carrying instruments to collect and analyze soil samples and study the planet's climate history. Radio contact was lost during the landing attempt in December 1999, and later reviews concluded that a software error probably shut down its descent engines prematurely, causing the craft to crash. Two Deep Space 2 microprobes that rode along were also lost.
help Mars Polar Lander FAQ
When was Mars Polar Lander launched?
NASA launched Mars Polar Lander in January 1999. The spacecraft was sent to study layered terrain near Mars's south polar region.
What was Mars Polar Lander designed to study?
Its instruments were intended to analyze Martian soil and investigate the planet's climate history. The mission focused on terrain near the south pole.
What happened to Mars Polar Lander during landing?
NASA lost radio contact during the landing attempt in December 1999. Because contact was never restored, the mission could not return its planned surface data.
Was Mars Polar Lander part of NASA's Mars exploration program?
Yes. It was a NASA robotic Mars mission launched alongside the late-1990s effort to study the planet's surface, soil, and past climate.
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