Lunar and Planetary Institute



Mars Global Surveyor Data Summary

Mission Objectives

• High resolution imaging of the surface

• Study the topography and gravity

• Study the role of water and dust on the surface and in the atmosphere

• Study the weather and climate of Mars

• Study the composition of the surface and atmosphere

• Study the existence and evolution of the Martian magnetic field

“The mission will provide a global portrait of Mars as it exists today…This new view will help planetary scientists to better understand the history of Mars' evolution, and will provide clues about the planet's interior and surface evolution. With this information, we will have a better understanding of the history of all of the inner planets of the solar system, including our home planet, Earth.”

Glenn E. Cunningham, Project Manager

Instruments

• Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC; 1.5 meters per pixel)

• Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES)

• Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)

• Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer

Data from this mission is still being used. Selected imagery and data maps follow.

Nanedi Valles. 5.1°N, 311.7°E, 9.8km x 27.9 km (24 meters/pixel).

Cydonia region of Mars. 40.8°N, 264°E, 3.6 km x 3.6 km (2 meters/pixel).

Eberswalde Crater. 24.3°S, 327°E, 14 km x 19.3 km (12 meters/pixel).

Detail from Eberswalde crater feature. (~)2.4 km x 6 km.

[pic]

May 1999 March 2006

A fresh impact crater formed sometime between May 1999 and March 2006. The impact site is located near 27.3°N, 268.2°E, on the upper north flank of the volcano, Ulysses Patera. The crater has a diameter of about 19.8 meters (~65 feet).

These two images were taken four years apart and show changes in albedo within a gully. The gully is located on the

wall of an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum, at 36.6°S, 198.2°E.

Distribution of plagioclase across the surface of Mars. Data from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer.

Elevation data gathered using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA).

Mars Global Surveyor data from the spacecraft’s magnetometer showing the location and strength of remnant magnetic fields in the Martian crust.

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