Mission Complete
Mars Global Surveyor
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor operated in orbit around Mars for nine years, longer than any other spacecraft to Mars and long enough to complete three extensions of its original two-year mission. The spacecraft last communicated with Earth on Nov. 2, 2006.
+ Mission highlights
+ End of mission
Mission News
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Report Reveals Likely Causes of MGS Loss
After studying Mars four times as long as originally planned, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter appears to have succumbed to battery failure caused by a complex sequence of events involving the onboard computer memory and ground commands.
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Panel Will Study Mars Global Surveyor Events
NASA has formed an internal review board to look more in-depth 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.
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NASA Images Suggest Water Still Flows in Brief Spurts on Mars
NASA's Mars robotic missions are performing so well, they are being prepared for additional overtime work.
Image Features
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Signs of Flowing Water on Mars
Images that provide evidence of recent water flows on Mars.
› Interactive Photo Gallery
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Slide Show: Mars Global Surveyor
Gullies, dunes and more. See just a few highlights from the spacecraft that has orbited Mars for nearly ten years.
Video Gallery
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Evidence of Water on Mars
Evidence of liquid water and new impact craters on the red planet.
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NASA Podcasts
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Recent Water Gushes and Craters on Mars
Scientists have observed two gullies on Mars that have fresh deposits, which they believe were formed by water flowing out within the past five or seven years.
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› Transcript