Table of Contents

Past Missions to Mars: An International Endeavour

Attempts to explore the Red Planet have been marked by numerous failures, particularly in the first decade of the space age. What follows is a brief overview of the missions in chronological order. It shows the problems in space exploration and the perseverance of Russian, American, Japanese, European and Canadian researchers, who have been sending probes and devices to Mars for over 40 years.

The 1990s: Learning more about Mars

1992

Mars Observer is the first of a series of NASA planetary missions intended to study the geology and climate of Mars. In August 1993, three days before scheduled Martian orbit insertion, contact with the probe is lost for reasons still not known. Several scenarios for what happened during the final moments of Mars Observer have been put forward, but none has been confirmed. The probe is now orbiting Mars or the Sun.

 

1996

Mars 96 is a Russian scientific mission of great importance in terms of the number of instruments aboard the orbiter. Some of these are: 12 instruments to study the surface of the planet, seven to study plasma fields, five for astrophysical studies, and two to dig the surface. Mars 96 weighs six tons! The probe, whose design is based on that of Phobos (launched in 1988), experiences power problems at launch and does not achieve insertion into Mars cruise trajectory. It crashes into the Pacific after circling the Earth three times, along with its valuable equipment.

Sunset on the Red Planet as seen by Mars Pathfinder (Photo: NASA)

An important newcomer to the space age: Mars Pathfinder is the first lander to carry a small mobile exploration robot, Sojourner. The six-wheel rover, controlled from Earth, begins exploring the Martian soil on July 6, 1997, and returns data on the geology of the planet for nearly three months. The lander is equipped with a camera capable of photographing Sojourner while it explores the environment. Communication with Mars Pathfinder is lost on September 27 for unknown reasons, but the mission is a resounding success.

1998 – Canada's first contribution to a Mars mission

The Japanese satellite Nozomi is launched as part of a mission to study the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind. A Canadian scientific instrument, the Thermal Plasma Analyzer (TPA) designed at the University of Calgary, is among the payload instruments carried by Nozomi. However, the Nozomi mission fails—a result of a combination of unforeseen circumstances. The first difficulty occurs when the spacecraft uses too much fuel to leave Earth's orbit.

 

Japanese scientists do everything in their power to save the mission, successively using the catapult effect of Earth and Mars orbits. During one of its Earth orbits, a solar storm damages Nozomi. Five years after its launch, it is finally near Mars, but the damage to the electronic control components of the retrorockets forces the Japanese to cancel orbit insertion. The spacecraft now revolves around the Sun.

 

Mars Climate Orbiter is the first interplanetary meteorological satellite. Its mission: to study the Martian atmosphere and climate. It is also a communication bridge for another American probe, Mars Polar Lander, prior to launch a few months later. Mars Climate Orbiter is notable in space history as the first Russian–U.S. Mars mission. Difficulties experienced by the satellite during its entry to orbit may explain its loss.

 

1999

Mars Polar Lander is the first spacecraft with a mission to study the polar environment of another planet; it is to touch down close to the south-pole latitudes. It carries two scientific instruments and a lander. Just minutes prior to landing, Mission Control loses the signal for Mars Polar Lander. The two scientific instruments it carries, ejected during the descent to the Red Planet, are also missing.