[NormsRevenge]

A computer design downloaded from the internet of the Mars Global Surveyor, is shown in this Jan. 29, 1999 file photo. NASA's best effort to find the missing probe failed Monday night, as scientists at the space agency began to lose hope for the 10-year-old planet-mapping workhorse, which has been silent for more than two weeks. The spacecraft was designed to return detailed photographs of features on Mars: it has beamed back more than 240,000 over t he last decade. (AP Photo/JPL NASA)

[NormsRevenge]

On the Net:

Mars Global Surveyor home page: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/

[2banana]

The $154 million surveyor, which was supposed to last only two years but continued sending data for almost a decade

I'd say the taxpayers got their money's worth...

[Yo-Yo]

One of it's most widely viewed images:

1976 Viking photo of the Face on Mars and 2001 Global Surveyor photo of the same Face.

[NormsRevenge]

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Two annular (i.e., somewhat circular) clouds are seen in the upper left corner of this mosaic of MOC wide angle camera daily global mapping images. To the right of the picture's center is the martian north polar cap. The image has a scale of about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) per pixel. Annular clouds are common in mid-northern summer in the north polar region, and may result from eddy currents in the lower atmosphere. The appearance of such clouds happens every year; this year they came like clockwork within a two-week forecasted period, based on the previous 4 martian years of experience gained from MGS MOC daily global imaging.

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Orbiter Update

[Rummyfan]

Let me be the first to say it: Did they look in Uranus?

[Izzy Dunne]

Steve Squyres figures prominently in this NOVA program about the development of the Spirit / Opportunity rovers, now roaming on Mars.

[FourtySeven]

Sad news but it looks like they got their money's worth!

[LdSentinal]

This is what my hard-earned tax dollars are being wasted on? I want it to go to build a 700-mile useless fence next to Mexico.

[exit82]

No, Congresswoman Jackson-Lee, it is NOT next to the flagpole!

[The_Victor]

which was supposed to last only two years but continued sending data for almost a decade

500% beyond it's design life is pretty damn good performance in my book.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Money better spent than on the STS that cost us the SCSC.

IIRC Spirit and Opportunity had 90 day expected lifetimes. Now at three years?

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people should be armed where they will, with wits and guns. NRA KMA

[tal hajus]

Something almost nobody wants to hear, "We lost the probe."

[RightWhale]

Don't know if this link was posted

hiroc

It is the hi-res images of Mars from the new orbiter. They will be flooding us with hi-res.