Mars Climate Orbiter Photos
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. --
In the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation
Facility -2 (SAEF-2),
workers prepare the Mars Climate Orbiter for a spin
test. Photos taken on November 13, 1998.
Targeted for launch aboard a Delta II rocket on Dec. 10, 1998, the
orbiter is heading for Mars where it will primarily support its companion
Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, which is planned for launch on Jan. 3, 1999.
At the extreme right can be seen the lander in another work area. The
orbiter's instruments will monitor the Martian atmosphere and image the
planet's surface on a daily basis for 687 Earth days. It will observe the
appearance and movement of atmospheric dust and water vapor, as well as
characterize seasonal changes on the surface. The detailed images of the
surface features will provide important clues to the planet's early climate
history and give scientists more information about possible liquid water
reserves beneath the surface.
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PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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