1. Modern Exploration Mars Global Surveyor  “The mission will provide a global portrait of Mars as it exists today…This new view will help planetary scientists to better understand the history of Mars' evolution, and will provide clues about the planet's interior and surface evolution. With this information, we will have a better understanding of the history of all of the inner planets of the solar system, including our home planet, Earth.” Glenn E. Cunningham, Project Manager

2. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Objectives:  High resolution imaging of the surface  Study the topography and gravity  Study the role of water and dust on the surface and in the atmosphere  Study the weather and climate of Mars  Study the composition of the surface and atmosphere  Study the existence and evolution of the Martian magnetic field

3. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Objectives:  High resolution imaging of the surface  Study the topography and gravity  Study the role of water and dust on the surface and in the atmosphere  Study the weather and climate of Mars  Study the composition of the surface and atmosphere  Study the existence and evolution of the Martian magnetic field

4. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Launched November 7, 1996; arrived at Mars on September 12, 1997  Spent the next 16 months “aerobraking”, began mapping the surface in March 1997

5. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Instruments  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC); capture high-resolution images of the surface (1.5 meters per pixel)  Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES); investigate thermal properties of rocks and soils, collect mineralogy data  Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA); elevation data  Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer; search for evidence of a planetary magnetic field

6. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Instruments  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC); capture high-resolution images of the surface (1.5 meters per pixel)  Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES); investigate thermal properties of rocks and soils, collect mineralogy data  Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA); elevation data  Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer; search for evidence of a planetary magnetic field

7. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor

8. Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com

9. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com

10. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com

11. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor Credit: Malin Space Science Systems – www.msss.com

12. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

13. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

14. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  Notable results from Global Surveyor  The northern hemisphere is probably just as cratered as the southern hemisphere, but the craters are mostly buried.  High-resolution imagery shows modifications to the surface have taken place over the past decade.  Hundreds of gullies were discovered that were formed from liquid water, possibly in recent times.  The Thermal Emission Spectrometer found that just about all of the surface of Mars is covered with volcanic rock.

15. Modern Exploration Global Surveyor  How did Global Surveyor advance scientific understanding of Mars?  Smoking gun evidence that liquid water was stable on the surface for long periods of time  Mars exhibits a “global dichotomy” in terms of topography  Spectral ID of the global surface composition  What technological advance(s) did Global Surveyor carry?  Highest-resolution camera, for the time  Laser altimeter  TES; lithology, mineralogy