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Mars Climate Orbiter

Occurred 25 years ago

Type

Orbiter

Launch

Dec. 11, 1998

Target

Mars

Status

Unsuccessful

Designed to study Mars from orbit and serve as a communications relay for the Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space probes, the Mars Climate Orbiter was unsuccessful due to a navigation error caused by a failure to translate English units to metric. Last contact with the spacecraft was on September 23, 1999, nine months after launch, and an investigation found that the spacecraft burned up in Mars' atmosphere.

Artist's concept of Mars Climate Orbiter
An artist's concept of Mars Climate Orbiter.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Key Facts

Launch
Dec. 11, 1998
Launch Site
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch Vehicle
Delta II
End of Mission
Sept. 23, 1999, lost on arrival

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