Mars Observer mission

Mars Observer, the first of the observer series of planetary exploration missions recommended by the Solar System Exploration Committee, is planned for an August 1990 launch. Its principal objectives are in the areas of geoscience and climatology. This paper provides a summary description of the Mars Observer mission that focuses upon the mission characteristics, including key features of the trajectory, navigation challenges, and the science data acquisition objectives and process. To put the foregoing into the proper perspective, brief descriptions of the proposed science investigations and the spacecraft are also provided.