The Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander is scheduled for launch on April 10, 2001. It will land on Mars on Jan. 22, 2002, if launched on schedule.

The 2001 Lander will carry an imager to take pictures of the surrounding terrain during its rocket-assisted descent to the surface. The descent imaging camera will provide images of the landing site for geologic analyses, and will aid planning for initial operations and traverses by the rover.

The 2001 Lander will also be a platform for instruments and technology experiments designed to provide key insights to decisions regarding successful and cost-effective human missions to Mars. Hardware on the Lander will be used for a demonstration test of rocket propellant production using gases in the Martian atmosphere. Other equipment will characterize the Martian soil properties and surface radiation environment. For more details, please v isit the Mars Surveyor 2001 mission page!