Panel Will Study Mars Global Surveyor Events

Jan. 10, 2007

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-6278

RELEASE: 07-04

PANEL WILL STUDY MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR EVENTS

WASHINGTON - NASA has formed an internal review board to look more
indepth into why NASA's Mars Global Surveyor went silent in November
2006 and recommend any processes or procedures that could increase
safety for other spacecraft.

Mars Global Surveyor launched in 1996 on a mission designed to study
Mars from orbit for two years. It accomplished many important
discoveries during nine years in orbit. On Nov. 2, the spacecraft
transmitted information that one of its arrays was not pivoting as
commanded. Loss of signal from the orbiter began on the following
orbit.

Mars Global Surveyor has operated longer at Mars than any other
spacecraft in history and for more than four times as long as the
prime mission originally planned.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages Mars Global
Surveyor for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the
spacecraft.

Information about the mission is available on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mgs/index.html

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