Data From Goddard's Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Plays A Key Role In Helping Scientists Determine The Primary Landing Site

Artist Concept of Landing

Data from Goddard's Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) played a key role in helping scientists determine the primary landing site for the Mars Polar Lander. Engineers are aiming for a 200 kilometers (125 miles) long and 20 kilometers (12-1/2 miles) wide strip of gentle, rolling plains.  Launched on January 3, 1999, Mars Polar Lander will study the soil and look for ice beneath the surface of the Martian south pole.
Primary landing site for the Mars Polar Lander - MOLA data

Landing Site Preview

Scientists used data from MOLA to learn about elevation changes within the primary landing site (marked with an oval.) Colors in the inset image correspond to changes in elevation. White colors indicate elevations in excess of Primary landing site for the Mars Polar Lander Indicated in Oval - MOLA data3012 meters, red shows elevations between 2500m - 3012m, yellow shows elevations 2450m - 2500m, dark cyan shows elevations 2150m-2450m, dark violet shows elevations from 320m - 2150m. The topography in these images is vertically exaggerated by a factor of 5.

 

 

NASA Web Sites related to Mars

Mars Polar Lander Homepage
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/

Detailed schedule of NASA Mars Briefings, live commentary and related events:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/marsnews/
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/breaking.html

Deep Space 2 microprobes homepage
http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds2/

NASA's Office of Space Science Mars Webpage
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oss/mars.htm

Live From Mars Home Page
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/

JPL Home Page
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/

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Last Revised: 02 December 1999

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