INTRODUCTION BY CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY [uforce]
NASA is breaking down their operations center at Stanford, due to the apparent failure of this multi-million dollar satellite. The Mars Polar Lander was to have done a number of evaluations on the Martian surface. It was was hoped that this data would give scientists and researchers here on earth some insight into the mysterious conditions on the surface of this planet.
The mission looked promising, and it was hoped that we could glean more data about the possibility of life on this planet. There are numerous questions that need to be answered before I am convinced that there isn't life on Mars...
NASA has had sufficient time to perform their analysis. If it was not a signal from Mars or the Mars polar lander, then NASA would sweep it under the carpet. That would be that, end of story. But they didn't...and the question still remains: If it wasn't the Mars Polar Lander sending a transmission to earth, then what was it?
A few days have passed, and not a word from JPL/NASA concerning this transmission from Mars. Was there something about this signal that convinced NASA to clamp a lid on it? We're still waiting for the "official" NASA/JPL news release. We'll keep you posted.
Radio telescopes in The Netherlands, England and at Stanford University in California have begun listening for a possible signal from Mars Polar Lander today.
Mars Polar Lander Mission Status
MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov Mars Polar Lander Mission Status February 4, 2000
The array of fourteen 25-meter (82-foot) antennas at Westerbork in The Netherlands as well as the 76-meter (about 250- foot) antenna at Jodrell Bank, near Manchester, England have three 30-minute listening opportunities today. The 45-meter (150- foot) antenna at Stanford University is also able to listen during these windows. An array located near Bologna, Italy is not being used today.
Mission managers for Polar Lander say it will take each of the stations some time to review their data. "We want to make sure we have checked and double-checked these data before we can confirm whether or not there is a signal," said Richard Cook, project manager for Mars Polar Lander at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "I don't think we'll know anything either way until sometime next week."
Mars Polar Lander is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Lockheed Martin Astronautics Inc., Denver, Colo., is the agency's industrial partner for development and operation of the spacecraft. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
MARS PROGRAM INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT TEAM RETURNS TO JPL The Mars Program Independent Assessment Team, appointed by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, returned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, this week to continue its review of the Agency's program for the robotic exploration of Mars. The team, chaired by Thomas Young, is tasked with examining NASA's approach to future missions to Mars in light of the recent loss of Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander.INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT TEAM RETURNS TO JPL
Elvia H. Thompson Headquarters, Washington, DC Feb. 4, 2000 (Phone: 202/358-1600) STATUS REPORT
The team spent two and one-half days meeting with JPL's senior managers and program officials. This week's trip focused on actions taken by JPL in response to an internal review of management practices and procedures and examination of the composition and structure of future missions to Mars. In order to hear from a larger number of engineers, scientists, and managers the team split into small groups then reconvened at the end to share what each member had learned.
"By hearing from more of the people who worked on these projects, we are able to obtain a broader view of how business has been conducted here at JPL," said Young. "This gives us a better understanding of the lessons learned from both the missions that were successful and those that were not."
Young added that JPL managers and technical experts at all levels have been very cooperative with the team and more than willing to share their opinions in a frank manner. "We are beginning to get a clearer picture of the processes in place at JPL, at Lockheed Martin and at NASA Headquarters," Young said.
The team's charter is to evaluate several recent successful and unsuccessful NASA missions to deep space, including Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Climate Orbiter, Mars Polar Lander, Deep Space 1 and Deep Space 2. It is reviewing the science objectives, budgets, schedules, management structure, and procedures in place for each of these missions. The review is being coupled with an assessment of how these factors affect mission safety, reliability and success.
The Independent Assessment Team began its work on Jan. 7, 2000, and is scheduled to complete its review and present the NASA Administrator with its findings in mid-March.
Flight controllers have been unable to contact the Mars Polar Lander. On Saturday, the Deep Space Network and Stanford University attempted to detect a signal from the lander but were not successful. Controllers will continue trying to regain contact with the lander, but at this point it seems unlikely. It is more probable that there was a catastophic failure of the spacecraft during its entry, descent, or landing. The cause may never be known, but high-resolution images from the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft may yield clues. These images will be taken during the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the science team at UCLA is beginning the difficult task of saying goodbye and disassembling the Mars Science Operations Center. We all hope that the unique scientific questions of this mission will be addressed in the future.
MOC to Search for Clues
Thanks to our Wonderful Sponsors You've made our web site and operations facility the best in the solar system! (Reference #3).
NASA: Stanford Picks Up Mars Signal
NASA: There IS Life On Mars
MPL: Topography of crash site.
VIEW-2 MPL CRASH-SITE
__________________________ REFERENCES:Reference #1: MPL web site; Press Release February 4, 2000; http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/news/news65.html
Reference #2, 3: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/mvacs/
