On November 7, 1996, NASA launched its Mars Global Surveyor mission.
This was the first mission NASA sent to Mars in almost 20 years. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft was an orbiter. It transmitted data from NASA's Mars rovers Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity back to Earth. The spacecraft also did a lot of its own science. It found surface channels on Mars that appeared to have been created by running water. It looked at the south pole of Mars and saw signs of possible climate change. Mars Global Surveyor also saw a mineral called hematite on Mars. Hematite usually forms in water. NASA then sent its Spirit and Opportunity rovers to look for the hematite, and both rovers found it near their landing sites. Mars Global Surveyor survived much longer than expected. But a space maneuver accidentally exposed one of its batteries to the sun, and the spacecraft lost power. It fell silent forever in November of 2006.
This was the first mission NASA sent to Mars in almost 20 years. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft was an orbiter. It transmitted data from NASA's Mars rovers Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity back to Earth. The spacecraft also did a lot of its own science. It found surface channels on Mars that appeared to have been created by running water. It looked at the south pole of Mars and saw signs of possible climate change. Mars Global Surveyor also saw a mineral called hematite on Mars. Hematite usually forms in water. NASA then sent its Spirit and Opportunity rovers to look for the hematite, and both rovers found it near their landing sites. Mars Global Surveyor survived much longer than expected. But a space maneuver accidentally exposed one of its batteries to the sun, and the spacecraft lost power. It fell silent forever in November of 2006.
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00:00On this day in space.
00:03On November 7th, 1996, NASA launched its Mars Global Surveyor mission.
00:08This was the first mission NASA sent to Mars in almost 20 years.
00:12The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft was an orbiter.
00:15It transmitted data from NASA's Mars rovers back to Earth.
00:18The spacecraft also did a lot of its own science.
00:21It found surface channels on Mars that appeared to have been created by running water.
00:26It looked at the south pole of Mars and saw signs of possible climate change.
00:30Mars Global Surveyor also saw a mineral called hematite on Mars.
00:34Hematite usually forms in water.
00:36NASA then sent its Spirit and Opportunity rovers to look for the hematite,
00:39and both rovers found it near their landing sites.
00:42Mars Global Surveyor survived much longer than expected.
00:45But a space maneuver accidentally exposed one of its batteries to the sun,
00:49and the spacecraft lost power.
00:52It fell silent forever in November of 2006.
00:55And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:58Music.