Mars Observer: mission and targets
Data as of 2026-10-04
Dates declared by the archive
- Project start
- September 25, 1992
- Declared end
- August 21, 1993
The start the archive declares is the start of the project, not the launch, and an end it does not declare does not mean the mission is still running.
In Galaxy
Targets you can open in 3D:
A declared target is what the archive files the mission’s data under, not a record of observation.
Description published by the archive
Mars Observer was launched on September 25, 1992, from Cape Canaveral using a Titan III rocket. However, on August 21, 1993, contact was lost during the pre-Mars-Orbit-Insertion sequence, and efforts to re-establish communication failed. The spacecraft was intended to enter an elliptical orbit around Mars, subsequently adjusting to a near-circular, low altitude, sun-synchronous orbit for global mapping over a Martian year. The mission planned for continuous data collection and playback, with specific orbit trim adjustments for uniform coverage. Mars Observer featured a stabilized platform for its scientific instruments, including a Gamma Ray Spectrometer and Magnetometer. However, it lacked a movable scanning platform, relying instead on internal scanning mechanisms for its observations.
Quoted in English, as the archive publishes it, read on October 4, 2026.
Source
Identifier in the archive, which is its citation: urn:nasa:pds:context:investigation:mission.mars_observer
NASA Planetary Data System, PDS Registry, investigation context products. Dates and targets read on September 29, 2026; how to cite the archive: https://pds.nasa.gov/datastandards/citing/