Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

[Pamplemousse of France]

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has just succeded in its planetary injection. Congratulations to Jet Propulsion Laboratory which was conducting the maneuvre. With this success, six ships are currently active on and around Mars:

Mars Global Surveyor (USA, 1996, orbiter)
Mars Odyssey (USA, 2001, orbiter)
Spirit (USA, 2003, lander)
Opportunity (USA, 2003, lander)
Mars Express (European Union, 2004, orbiter)
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA, 2006, orbiter)

Next planetary injection will be European spacecraft "Venus Express" around Venus in April 11th 2006.

[gatelover12]

Didn't spirit and/or oppertunity like crash horrificly?

[jazz!]

Didn't spirit and/or oppertunity like crash horrificly?

Spirit and Opportunity? The mars Rovers? You mean the ones sending back amazing images of the Martian surface? Yep...horrific crash of carnage

I think you may be thinking of the British Beagle2 carried by ESA which vanished/crashed on mars

Well done to jpl for the orbiter

[gatelover12]

I'm thinking of a US thing for sure, it was probably a few years back. I think it was an orbiter?

[walterIsTheMan]

I'm thinking of a US thing for sure, it was probably a few years back. I think it was an orbiter?

I know what you're thinking of. I forget their names, but it was the polar probes that were supposed to search for water/life.

[gatelover12]

I know what you're thinking of. I forget their names, but it was the polar probes that were supposed to search for water/life.

Thank you! Them.

[Pamplemousse of France]

I'm thinking of a US thing for sure, it was probably a few years back. I think it was an orbiter?

I think you're talking about Mars Polar Lander and Mars Climate Orbiter.

Mars Climate Orbiter was launched on December 11th 1998. It arrived to Mars on September 23rd 1999. Some calculation mistakes (american unit vs metric units) made the ship to fly over Mars at an altitude of 57 km (the minimum altitude is 85 km). The ship burned in the atmosphere.

Mars Polar Lander was launched on January 3rd 1999. It arrived to Mars on December 3rd 1999. The atmospheric entry was good, but when the landing gear deployed, the accelerometers believed that the ship was on the ground and shut down the engine. The ship fell from an altitude of 40 meters and was destroyed.

[gatelover12]

Yeps *gives green*

[Exiled Master]

Well this is good news for space exploration. Now we just need to find high grade deposits of a rare ore on Deimos or Phobos and we're set to begin space mining!

[Ses]

Mars Climate Orbiter was launched on December 11th 1998. It arrived to Mars on September 23rd 1999. Some calculation mistakes (american unit vs metric units) made the ship to fly over Mars at an altitude of 57 km (the minimum altitude is 85 km). The ship burned in the atmosphere.

Ha ha, what a mistake to make *giggles*

[TechnoWraith]

Didn't spirit and/or oppertunity like crash horrificly?

You must be thinking of a different probe that failed to land properly (i think it was the one before Opportunity and Spirit - I'm probably wrong).

[sueKay]

Beagle dissappeared, but apparently they've found it inside a crater.

[Ses]

Beagle dissappeared, but apparently they've found it inside a crater.

Because thats where the aliens put it

[jazz!]

I'm thinking of a US thing for sure, it was probably a few years back. I think it was an orbiter?

ooooh k;

there's been quite a few 'Missions to Mars' and it seems quite a few of them have not gone so well.... and you seem to be referring to...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Surveyor_1998 which carried polar landers...

Because thats where the aliens put it

Frankly!, thats just silly! ...aliens moving the Beagle2.....pfffft!
We ALL know that the aliens don't have time for such trival matters...not while they have to keep the solar panels on Spirit/Opportunity dust-free

[Darkstar]

you know by the time we finish sending all these probes to mars and finally step foot the planet will be a barren wastelend littered with rubbish, junk metal and carnage spread all over, a mass cleanup operation will be needed before man lives there lol!!!!!!!!!