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 | Mars Landing: ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND NOV. 20-21--The Mars Polar Lander sits behind an oscilloscope which shows sound being transmitted through a microphone similar to the one aboard the Polar Lander, during a news conference Monday, Nov. 15, 1999 in Los Angeles. The spacecraft, set to land on Mars next month, will attempt for the first time to capture the sounds of the Red Planet using a $15 microphone connected to a chip commonly found in talking toys and telephones. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho) click to open  |  | Mars Landing: This computer illustration shows the Mars Polar Lander as it would appear on Mars' surface. After an 11-month cruise, the lander is expected to arrive on Mars about noon PST Dec. 3, 1999, near the planet's south pole, a relatively smooth, never-explored region marked by layered dust and possibly ice similar to that found in the Grand Canyon. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL) click to open |  | Mars Landing: An anotated artist's rendering shows the Deep Space 2 probe penetrating Martian soil, as the second probe in its aeroshell is about to plummet into the ground. The two softball-size probes will crash into Mars this week, penetrating the planet like lawn darts to search for water and test technology that could revolutionize solar system exploration Sunday, Nov. 28, 1999. (AP Photo/NASA, JPL, Caltech) click to open |  | Mars Landing: The Mars Polar Lander, due to set down on the Martian surface Friday, is set to write a new chapter in the history of exploration of the Red Planet which goes back to the 17th century when man first viewed it through crude telescopes. The spacecraft is shown being worked on by technicians at the Lockheed Martin Astronautics facility in Denver, Colorado, in March 1998 (NASA/Reuters) click to open |  | Mars Landing: Mars Polar Lander, shown in this artist rendition, will use an articulated robotic arm to dig trenches to collect soil samples. This terrain near the south pole is believed to consist of layers of soil and ice built up over many years (similar to tree growth rings). The composition of the layers may reveal clues to past climatic conditions. The sights and sounds of Mars will be no farther away than any computer plugged into the Internet after NASA's Polar Lander safely touches down near the Red Planet's south pole Friday Dec. 3, 1999. Virtual tourists visiting NASA's Web site will find pictures, weather reports, science data and the first-ever sound clips beamed to Earth by the lander 157 million miles away, said Kirk Goodall, Web page engineer at JetPropulsion Laboratory(AP Photo/NASA-JPL) click to open |  | Mars Landing: Mars Polar Lander, shown in this artist rendition, carries a complementary suite of instruments to study conditions near the South Pole, including soil composition, water content in the soil and atmosphere, and weather conditions. The sights and sounds of Mars will be no farther away than any computer plugged into the Internet after NASA's Polar Lander safely touches down near the Red Planet's south pole Friday Dec. 3, 1999. Virtual tourists visiting NASA's Web site will find pictures, weather reports,science dataand the first-ever sound clips beamed to Earth by the lander 157 million miles away, said Kirk Goodall, Web page engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (AP Photo/ NASA/JPL) click to open |  | Mars Landing: The Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, shown in this artist's rendering on the surface of Mars, is scheduled to land on Mars Friday. The 1,270 pound lander, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will also deploy two small probes that are set to crash into the ground and search for water. Once on Mars, the lander will study the planet's climate and dig samples and relay back data. (Reuters - Courtesy NASA/JPL) click to open |  | Mars Landing: The Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, shown in this artist's rendering on the surface of Mars, is scheduled to land on Mars Friday. The 1,270 pound lander, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will also deploy two small probes that are set to crash into the ground and search for water. Once on Mars, the lander will study the planet's climate and dig samples and relay back data. (Reuters - Courtesy NASA/JPL) click to open |  | Mars Landing: The robotic arm on a full-size model of the Mars Polar Lander dumps beach sand after scooping it up, showing how it will dig trecnhes and take soil samples once it lands on Mars, during a demonstration at UCLA Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1999 in Los Angeles. The spacecraft is scheduled to land on Mars Friday after traveling some 470 million miles since its launch Jan. 3. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) click to open |  | Mars Landing: A scale model of the Deep Space 2 Mars microprobe is shown Thursday at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Two microprobes are on the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft which was launched in January, 1999. The small probes will crash into the surface of Mars Friday as part of NASA's New Millenium Program to test new technologies and conduct science experiments and send data back to Earth. (Fred Prouser/Reuters) click to open |
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