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Physical Science: Space Science
Related ASU Research Stories
Armada Bound for Mars (feature)
Field Trip of Dreams (sidebar)
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publication Date: Fall 1999
Launched
November 7, 1996
Mars arrival
September 11, 1997
First science data collection
September 13, 1997
Mapping phase
March 9, 1999 through February 2000
ASU participation
Philip Christensen, professor of geology, heads the Thermal Emission Spectrometer team.
Launched
December 4, 1996
Landed
July 4, 1997, in Ares Vallis
Last data radioed to Earth
September 27, 1997
ASU participation
Ronald Greeley, Regents Professor of Geology, was a
member of the imaging team. Rob Sullivan, a member of Greeley's research
group, developed the lander's windsock experiment.
Launched
January 3, 1999
Landing
December 3, 1999
ASU participation
Greeley is a member of the imaging team. Laurie Leshin, assistant professor of geology, is a science team member for the lander's main scientific payload, Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor. Marsha Presley, research associate in geology, is a member of the science team for the Mars Microprobes, a secondary payload of the lander that will investigate the Martian subsurface.
Launch
March 7, 2001
Mars arrival
December 10, 2001
ASU participation
Christensen heads the Thermal Emission Imaging System team.
Launch
April 10, 2001
Landing
January 22, 2002
ASU participation
Christensen heads the Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer team. Joel Rademacher, who received his ASU master's degree in aerospace engineering in 1996, is a systems engineer for the soil and dust experiment.
Launch
2003
Landing
2004
ASU participation
Christensen heads the Mini-TES team. Mini-TES is part of the Athena rover.
Launch
2003
Reaches Mars
2004
ASU participation
Greeley is a co-investigator on the German camera experiment, responsible for coordinating imaging related to volcanism, wind features and sites for extraterrestrial biology.
Launched
Via the space shuttle Atlantis October 18, 1989
Asteroid flybys
Gaspra, October 1991; Ida, August 1993
Reached Jupiter
1995
Galileo Europa Mission
December 7, 1997, to December 31, 1999
ASU participation
Greeley is a member of the imaging team.
Launched
October 24, 1998
ASU connection
Rademacher designed, assembled and tested DS-1's Plasma Wave Antenna, which monitors the spacecraft's innovative ion propulsion engine.
Flyby of asteroid 9969 Braille, July 29, 1999