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LANDING SITE FACT SHEET
Primary Landing Site
Coordinates: 76 degrees south latitude, 195 degrees west longitude
Accuracy: due to limitations in targetting the spacecraft
while en route to Mars, there is a ~68% (1-sigma) probability that the lander
will land within an elliptical area ~70 km (42 miles) downrange and 7 km (4.2
miles) crossrange centered on the target point. The probability is ~99%
(3 sigma) for a "landing ellipse" of 200 km by 20 km. The lander approaches
from the north, with a downrange direction slightly east of due north.
Distance from South Pole: about 800 km (480 miles)
Elevation: 4000 meters (above Mars "sea level", the 6.1-millibar pressure level)
Expected Temperature Range: daily temperature variation between about -60 and -5 °C
Terrain Type: Martian Polar Layered Deposits (sedimentary layers of ice and dust)
Mars Polar Lander Mission
MPL Fact Sheet, MPL Frequently Asked Questions
Launch Date: January 3, 1999 from Cape Canaveral
Landing Date: December 3, 1999
End of Mission: February 29, 2000
Project Scientist: Dr. Richard W. Zurek (Jet Propulsion Lab)
Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor (MVACS) Principal Investigator: Dr. David A. Paige (UCLA)
Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael C. Malin (Malin Space Science Systems)
LIDAR/Microphone Principal Investigator: Dr. Viacheslav Linkin (Russian Academy of Science)
Mars Microprobes Project Scientist: Dr. Suzanne Smrekar (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Reference Material
Official JPL Mars Exploration Page
For background on Mars Exploration, see www.exploringmars.com
For background on the Mars Polar Lander, see the Official Mars Polar Lander Homepage
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