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Mars Global Surveyor

Mars Global Surveyor was NASA's first successful Mars mission since Viking in 1976 and a global mapping mission that studied the planet's surface, atmosphere, ionosphere, and interior while supporting later Mars spacecraft through atmospheric monitoring, landing-site reconnaissance, and relay services.

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Aliases
MGS missionMars Global Surveyor orbiter mission
Name
Mars Global Surveyor
Status
completed

Details

Astronauts
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Description
Mars Global Surveyor was NASA's first successful Mars mission since Viking in 1976 and a global mapping mission that studied the planet's surface, atmosphere, ionosphere, and interior while supporting later Mars spacecraft through atmospheric monitoring, landing-site reconnaissance, and relay services.
End Date
2006-11-14
Launch Site
Outcome
Mars Global Surveyor operated in Mars orbit from 1997 until November 14, 2006. It produced the first global high-resolution topographic map of another planet, documented water-related minerals and recent surface processes, monitored Martian weather, and helped select landing sites and relay data for later missions.
Start Date
1996-11-07
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Creation Time
July 30, 2026 at 20:03:14 UTC
Updated Time
July 30, 2026 at 20:03:14 UTC

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