WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE IS MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR?

Mars Global Surveyor, NASA's Eye on the Red Planet, has gone missing! Communication has been lost with the satellite, which has been sending back images and data from Mars for the last ten years, and it is becoming increasingly likely that it is now literally lost in space. Its last known whereabouts were "somewhere around Mars" although exactly where is a mystery. The last successful communication with Mars Global Surveyor was on 2nd November but since then, the craft appears to have gone into a sulk and doesn't want to speak to anybody. Opportunity, a Rover on Mars tried to communicate with Mars Global Surveyor on 21st November but received not answer. NASA scientists will try various methods to get back in touch with the satellite, but if they fail, they will be forced to announce the end of the Mars Global Surveyor mission. Despite this, Mars Global Surveyor has exceeded all expectations and lasted much longer than it was designed. It originally launched from Earth on 7th November 1996 and reached Mars in September 1997. Its primary mission, to map the surface of Mars and study the planet while in orbit around Mars, ended in January 2001. Since then it has entered into several "extended missions" and is used as a communications satellite for recent rovers and landers which have made the journey to Mars. Although it was the only satellite in orbit around Mars when it got there in 1997, it is now one of four satellites which have since entered Mars orbit. NASA's Odyssey orbiter got there in 2001, Europe's Mars Express arrived in December 2003, and in March this year NASA's Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter reached the planet. Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter has tried to look for Mars Global Surveyor using its state-of-the art cameras but hasn't been able to find it. It's probably taken some nice pictures of stars though. NASA will try communicating with the satellite from both Earth and Mars, using the Rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which are currently wandering about on the planet's surface, but may eventually have to give up the search and play with their other satellites instead. One of the most likely reasons that contact has been lost with Mars Global Surveyor could be due to a problem with one of its solar panels not being able to position itself correctly. To operate, Mars Global Surveyor needs power, and the source of most of its power is the Sun. If its solar panel isn't pointing at the Sun, the craft doesn't get the power it needs, and eventually its batteries run out.

Even if Mars Global Surveyor's mission is brought to an end, the space craft will leave a legacy which will be treasured for many years. Mars Global Surveyor has been the most successful and longest mission to the Red Planet, providing us with almost a quarter of a million images to plough few, and enough data to keep Martian scientists occupied for a long time. It has helped to choose landing sites for recent and future missions, missions which will one day lead to man landing on Mars. Whether or not it gets found again, Mars Global Surveyor certainly won't be forgotten.