Deep Space 2 (Amundsen and Scott)
Deep Space 2 — two small NASA probes, named Amundsen and Scott, that rode to Mars on Mars Polar Lander under NASA's New Millennium programme of technology tests. They separated just before the lander entered the atmosphere on 3 December 1999 and were to strike the ground near the south pole at about 200 m/s, some distance from the lander, and send their data through Mars Global Surveyor. Nothing was ever heard from either; the review board found no single most probable cause. (They are drawn at the target site the review board gives for all three craft.)
Key facts
Mission & specifications
Mission
- Operator
- NASA / JPL
- Launched
- January 3, 1999
- Status
- Lost
Trajectory
- Distance from the Sun
- 1.57 AU
- Computed from the cached position
- Distance from Earth
- 1.54 AU
- Computed from cached positions
- Distance from Mars
- 5,302,162 km
- Computed from cached positions
Mission
Deep Space 2 was a mission of NASA's New Millennium Program, which flew new technology to test it in space: two probes of 3.572 kg each, riding on the cruise stage of Mars Polar Lander. On 15 November 1999 they were named Amundsen and Scott, after the polar explorers. Each was to hit the ground inside a ceramic aeroshell that would shatter; a slim forebody would drive into the soil to look for water ice and measure the ground's temperature and properties, while an aftbody stayed at the surface, joined to it by a cable, to send the data up to Mars Global Surveyor. On 3 December 1999 they separated from the cruise stage about 18 seconds after it was jettisoned, shortly before the lander entered the atmosphere, and fell without parachutes toward the south polar layered terrain at about 200 m/s. The sources place their target differently: about 60 km from the lander in NASA's press kit, 50 to 100 km in NSSDCA's record. Their first data were expected a few hours later. None came, from either probe. The Special Review Board was unable to identify a probable cause and found no one failure most probable. It listed four plausible ones: the probes bouncing on impact, electronics or batteries failing at impact, electrical breakdown in the thin Martian air, and a probe landing on its side with its antenna blocked. Neither has ever been found.
- 1999Deep Space 2 launches toward Mars on a Delta II rocketLaunch
Two probes riding on Mars Polar Lander's cruise stage.
They separate shortly before entry; nothing is ever heard from either.
Images
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