Nov. 5, 2006: Mars Global Surveyor goes quiet

End of the Mars Global Surveyor Mission

Designed to study Mars in a comprehensive way—examining its atmosphere, interior, and surface—the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft went quiet on Nov. 5, 2006. This marked the end of a highly successful nine-year operational period around the Red Planet.

Launch and Orbital Mission Phase

Mars Global Surveyor launched on Nov. 7, 1996, and reached Mars on Sept. 12, 1997, slipping into orbit around the planet. Over the next nine years, it carried out detailed measurements of the planet's atmospheric dynamics, surface features, and internal structure.

Scientific Legacy and Geological Dynamism

MGS observations revealed that Mars was not a static world, but an evolving planet with ongoing geological dynamism. The data gathered by the mission laid a vital foundation for all subsequent Mars exploration missions.