Mars Observer space mission JPL NASA 2 pins
Here is a 2 pin set celebrating the Mars Observer spacecraft Mission to Mars in 1992. These pins were not available for sale to the general public and were only given to JPL employees. A friend of mine collected these while working at JPL.
Mars Observer Launch
Circa 1992
Metal pinback
2" x 3" rectangle
Mars Orbit Insertion August 24, 1993
Circa 1993
Metal pinback
2" x 3" rectangle
Mission: Sept. 25, 1992: Launch
Aug. 22, 1993: Spacecraft stopped sending telemetry and was never heard from again
Mars Observer was designed to carry out a high-resolution photography mission of the Red Planet over the course of a Martian year (687 days) from a 235 × 217-mile (378 × 350-kilometer) polar orbit.
Building on the research done by the Viking missions, it carried a suite of instruments to investigate Martian geology, atmosphere, and climate in order to fill in gaps in our knowledge of planetary evolution.
A mere 31 minutes after launch, the new transfer orbit stage (TOS), using the Orbus 21 solid rocket motor, fired to boost the spacecraft on an encounter trajectory with Mars.
After a 450 million-mile (725 million-kilometer) voyage lasting nearly 11 months, at 00:40 UT Aug. 22, 1993—just two days prior to planned entry into Mars orbit—the spacecraft stopped sending telemetry as planned, but then never resumed sending data 14 minutes later as expected.
Despite vigorous efforts to regain contact, Mars Observer remained quiet.
When the spacecraft did not re-establish contact after five days of silence, mission planners finally gave up hope on salvaging the mission.
The results of a five-month investigation proved to be inconclusive, but one likely cause of the catastrophic failure may have been a fuel line rupture that could have damaged the spacecraft’s electronics, throwing the vehicle into a spin.
In addition, the fact that the Mars Observer bus was a repurposed Earth science satellite bus may have also compromised the spacecraft’s ability to adapt to the deep space environment.
While none of the primary mission objectives was accomplished, the spacecraft did return data during its interplanetary cruise.
Scientific instruments developed for Mars Observer were later used on several subsequent Mars probes, including Mars Global Surveyor (launched in 1996), Mars Climate Orbiter (1998), Mars Odyssey (2001), and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005).
Condition is very good with no scratches, etc.
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I always try to describe the items as
accurately as possible so be sure to read the description and see the pictures
prior
to bidding.
If you have
ANY
questions about this item please feel free to email me.
Shipped via USPS
First Class Package.
I will combine
postage on additional items purchased.
All
items are ORIGINALS.
Please check out my other listings.
You
never know what you might find.
Good
luck and happy bidding
Mars Global Surveyor Spacecraft 1996 pinback JPL NASA 2 pin set
Here is a 2 pin set celebrating the Mars Global Surveyor space mission launched in November of 1996. These pins were not available for sale to the general public and were only given to JPL employees. A friend of mine collected these while working at JPL.
Mars Global Surveyor - Mars Orbit Insertion September 11, 1997
Circa 1997
Metal pinback
2" x 2" square
Mars Global Surveyor - A Full Martian Year 2001 February 01
Circa 2001
Metal pinback
2 1/2" diameter
Nov. 7, 1996: Launch
Sept. 12, 1997: Entered initial orbit at Mars
Sept. 17, 1997, to Feb. 19, 1999: Aerobraking used to refine spacecraft's orbit
March 9, 1999: Mapping mission formally began
Nov. 21, 2006: Last contact, mission ends
In Depth: Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Global Surveyor was the first spacecraft in NASA’s new Mars Surveyor Program, a new generation of American space probes to explore Mars every 26 months from 1996 to 2005.
The program was formulated in 1994 to economize costs and maximize returns by involving a single industrial partner with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to design, build and deliver a flight-worthy vehicle for Mars every two years. (A new Mars Exploration Program was inaugurated in 2000.)
The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft carried five instruments similar to those carried by the lost Mars Observer probe that fell silent in 1993. Among the instruments was a French-supplied radio relay experiment to serve as a downlink for future Mars landers, including the planned Russian Mars 96 mission.
After course corrections Nov. 21, 1996, and March 20, 1997, Mars Global Surveyor entered a highly elliptical orbit around Mars on Sept. 12, 1997, after engine ignition at 01:17 UT. Initial orbital parameters were about 163 × 33,570 miles (262 × 54,026 kilometers).
Commencement of its planned two-year mission was delayed because one of its two solar panels (-Y) had not fully deployed soon after launch. The solar panels were designed to act as atmospheric brakes to alter its orbit.
As a result, mission planners reconfigured the aerobraking process required to place the vehicle in its intended orbit. The modified aerobraking maneuver began Sept. 17, 1997, and lasted until October 11. A second aerobraking phase lasted from November 1997 to March 1998 and a third one began in November 1998 with the goal of reducing the high point of its orbit down to about 280 miles (450 kilometers).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I always try to describe the items as
accurately as possible so be sure to read the description and see the pictures
prior
to bidding. If you have
ANY
questions about this item please feel free to email me.
Shipped via USPS
First Class Package.
I will combine
postage on additional items purchased.
All
items are ORIGINALS.
Please check out my other listings.
You
never know what you might find.
Good
luck and happy bidding
