Mars Climate Orbiter
Mars Climate Orbiter was a NASA spacecraft designed to monitor Martian weather, atmospheric dust and water vapor, and seasonal surface changes while relaying communications for Mars Polar Lander. It completed its interplanetary cruise but was lost during arrival at Mars.
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Identity
- Aliases
- MCOMars Surveyor '98 Orbiter
- Name
- Mars Climate Orbiter
- Slug
- mars-climate-orbiter
- Status
- failed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- Mars Climate Orbiter was a NASA spacecraft designed to monitor Martian weather, atmospheric dust and water vapor, and seasonal surface changes while relaying communications for Mars Polar Lander. It completed its interplanetary cruise but was lost during arrival at Mars.
- End Date
- 1999-09-23
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- A mismatch between English and metric units in ground-navigation data accumulated into a trajectory error. Mars Climate Orbiter passed far below its intended altitude during orbit insertion, entered the Martian atmosphere, and was destroyed before beginning science operations.
- Program
- Mars Surveyor
- Start Date
- 1998-12-11
- Vehicle Families
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 14:01:00 UTC
- Updated Time
- July 18, 2026 at 14:01:00 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles