Mars
Mars Climate Orbiter
A lost Mars orbiter whose failure became a landmark systems-engineering lesson.
Failed · Spacecraft lost
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
Mars Climate Orbiter was intended to study the Martian atmosphere and relay data. Contact was lost during orbital insertion after a navigation mismatch between English and metric units led the spacecraft too close to Mars.
The launch
- Launch
- December 11, 1998 · 18:45 UTC
- Launch location
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida — Space Launch Complex 17A
- Launch vehicle
- Delta II 7425
- Orbit
- Intended Mars orbit; orbit insertion failed
Launch intelligence
A Boeing Delta II rocket launched the Mars Climate Orbiter mission on Friday, December 11, 1998 at 6:45 PM (UTC).
- Launch provider
- Boeing
- Vehicle
- Delta II
- COSPAR launch ID
- 1998-073
- Flight profile
- Orbital
- Launch result
- Success
- Window opens
- Not published
- Target T-0
- Dec 11, 1998, 18:45 UTC
- Window closes
- Not published
- Provider display
- Dec 11 1998
- Pad and location
- SLC-17A, Cape Canaveral SFS
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
Mission ended — Failed
Contact lost · September 23, 1999
Spacecraft lost
Communication was lost as the spacecraft passed behind Mars during the planned orbit-insertion sequence.
Objectives
- 01
Monitor daily weather and atmospheric conditions on Mars.
- 02
Study the distribution of water vapor and atmospheric dust.
- 03
Serve as a communications relay for Mars Polar Lander.
Gallery
0 images from Mars Climate Orbiter.
No mission imagery is available yet.
Community discussion
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