Mars Global Surveyor

Mars Global Surveyor was a NASA orbiter that mapped Mars from 1997 to 2006 and studied its surface, atmosphere, and magnetic field.

Mars Orbiter Camera: A narrow- and wide-angle imaging system aboard Mars Global Surveyor that photographed the Martian surface and atmosphere. Its images revealed surface features at scales ranging from regional patterns to fine detail.
Martian dichotomy: The sharp contrast between Mars’s low, cratered southern highlands and smoother northern lowlands. Global topography clarified the scale and relief of this planetary division.
Mars Observer: A NASA Mars orbiter whose 1993 loss prompted changes in the design and management of later Mars missions. Mars Global Surveyor reused much of its scientific instrument program after Mars Observer was lost.
Mars Global Surveyor aerobraking: The mission’s use of repeated atmospheric passes to reduce its orbit and reach its mapping orbit. Aerobraking allowed the spacecraft to enter a low orbit while conserving propellant.
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter: An instrument that measured Mars’s surface elevation by timing reflected laser pulses. Its global elevation measurements produced a precise topographic map of Mars.
Martian gullies: Small channels and associated deposits on Martian slopes, first reported in images from Mars Global Surveyor. The camera’s close-up images revealed young-looking features that prompted debate about liquid water.
Mars Surveyor '98 program: A NASA Mars exploration initiative that included the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions. It was part of the broader Mars Surveyor strategy that also produced Global Surveyor.
Mars Global Surveyor mapping orbit: The near-polar orbit from which Mars Global Surveyor conducted most of its systematic observations. Its recurring ground tracks enabled broad, repeated coverage of the planet.
Thermal Emission Spectrometer: An instrument that measured infrared radiation to determine the temperature and composition of Martian surfaces and atmosphere. Its infrared spectra helped map minerals and track atmospheric dust and temperature.
Martian remanent magnetism: Magnetism retained in Martian rocks after the planet’s global magnetic field weakened or disappeared. Surveyor mapped crustal magnetic anomalies that preserve evidence of an ancient dynamo.

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