Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander
Due to cost overruns and rover development problems, the Mars Surveyor 2001 mission is being rescoped. This rescoping may
include postponement of the rover until
the Mars 2003 mission and other changes to the instrumentation and mission profile.
Details of the new mission plan are not yet available. The description below applies to
the mission as planned before rescoping. The rescoped mission will be based on the Mars
'98 Polar Lander and will include the Mars Descent Imager (MARDI), the Mars Radiation
Environment Experiment (MARIE), a Panoramic Camera (PanCam), a small Thermal Emission
Spectrometer (Mini-TES), the Mars Environment Compatibility experiment (MECA), The Mars
In-situ Propellant production experiment (MIP), and a robotic arm and camera.
The Mars Surveyor 2001 Project consists of two
separately launched missions, The Mars Surveyor 2001 Orbiter and the Mars Surveyor 2001
lander. The Orbiter will nominally orbit Mars for three years, with the objective of
conducting a detailed mineralogical analysis of the planet's surface from orbit and
measuring the radiation environment. The Lander is equipped to study soil and atmospheric
chemistry and radiation at the surface. The Orbiter will also act as a communications
relay for the Lander.