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NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
Related Wikipedia articles
NASA
American space and aeronautics agency
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it succeeded the National Advisory Committee for…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Mars Polar Lander
Failed NASA Mars lander (1999)
The Mars Polar Lander, also known as the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander, was a 290-kilogram uncrewed spacecraft lander launched by NASA on January 3, 1999, to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the south pole on Mars. It formed part of the Mars Surveyor '98…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Atmosphere of Mars
Gas layer surrounding Mars
The atmosphere of Mars is the layer of gases surrounding Mars. It is primarily composed of carbon dioxide (95%), molecular nitrogen (2.85%), and argon (2%). It also contains trace levels of water vapor, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and noble gases. The atmosphere of Mars…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)