Mars Global Surveyor

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Class: Planetary. Type: Mars Orbiter. Destination: Mars. Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: Martin.

Mars Global Surveyor was a polar orbiting spacecraft designed to monitor Martian global weather and provide comprehensive maps of surface topography and the distribution of minerals. Mapping operations begin in March 1998. After collecting data for its prime mission of a full Martian year (nearly two Earth years), the spacecraft continued in operation for nearly ten years, observing changes to the Martian surface and acting as a data relay station for follow-on Mars missions.

Mars Global Surveyor was the first mission of the Mars Surveyor Program, which was an aggressive series of orbiters and landers designed to provide new global and close-up images of Mars. After the initial elliptical capture orbit, months of thruster firings and aerobraking maneuvers were used to reach the nearly circular mapping orbit.

The spacecraft used X-band uplink at 500 bps and X-band and Ka-band downlinks at 85.3 kbps maximum. The 1.5 m diameter, articulated high gain antenna was mounted on a 1.5 m boom. Four low-gain antennas provided backup communications. The dual-mode propulsion system (MMH/NTO or MMH monopropellant) had one 596 N and twelve 4.45 N thrusters. Total propellant load was 361 kg. The passive thermal control design was 3-axis stabilized with 10 mrad control and 3 mrad knowledge using reaction wheels, thrusters, sun sensors, horizon sensors, celestial sensors, and an IMU. Four articulated 1.7 m x 1.8 m solar panels (2 GaAs, 2 Si) provided 656 watts (980 W max) and fed two 20 Ahr NiH2 batteries. The MIL-STD-1750A-based central computer had a total data storage capacity of 3 gigabits.

Payloads included:

Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) provided local and global maps of Martian topography with 2 to 30 meter vertical resolution.
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) supported study of climate, surface geology, and surface and atmospheric interactions. Camera system included wide angle (140 degree) and narrow angle (0.4 degree) optics for producing global coverage (7.5 km/pixel), selective moderate resolution images (280 m/pixel) and very selective high resolution (1.4 m/pixel) images.
Magnetometer and Electron Reflectometer for global study of intrinsic magnetic field.
Thermal Emission Spectrometer to map the mineral content of rocks, ice caps, and clouds.
Radio Science (Ultrastable Oscillator) to study gravitational field, atmospheric refractive indices, and temperature profiles.
Mars Balloon Relay to serve as a data relay for planned future surface stations and atmospheric experiments.
Ka-Band Link Experiment (KaBLE) to provide Ka-band signal for atmospheric attenuation studies.

Total science payload mass was 78 kg.

Design Life: 6 years. Typical orbit: Mars orbit. Length: 1.80 m (5.90 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.20 m (3.90 ft).

Mars Global Surveyor Chronology

1996 November 7 - Mars Global Surveyor - Program: Mars Surveyor. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta.
Mars Global Surveyor entered a 258 x 54021 km x 93.3 deg polar orbit around Mars on 12 September 1997 after a 22 minute burn of its main engine. After a long aerobraking phase to a lower circular orbit, the spacecraft began its primary mission of photographing and observing changes on the Martian surface in March 1999. After nearly ten years of service, the last signals from MGS were received on 3 November 2006. The spacecraft went silent after an incorrect software upload caused its solar arrays to lose power.

Bibliography:

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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NASA Report, MGS Telemetry Dictionary, Web Address when accessed: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/pdf/SE012V1.PDF.
NASA Report, MGS Telemetry Calibration Handbook, Web Address when accessed: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/pdf/SE012V3.PDF.
NASA Report, Overview of the Mars Global Surveyor Mission, Web Address when accessed: http://techreports.jpl.nasa.gov/2000/00-1989.pdf.

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