The Mars Polar Lander craft, part of NASA's Mars Surveyor 1998 programme, is pictured at its proposed touchdown site, scheduled for January 2000, close to Mars' south pole. The Lockheed Martin lander is to be launched on a Delta II on 10 December. Its robot arm is designed to pass samples to an onboard thermal and evolved gas analyser. NASA may also postpone the deployment of the high gain antenna on the Mars Global Surveyor in March 1999. The antenna is stowed to reduce contamination from engine burns, and NASA may keep it stowed to avoid risk of a malfunction.
Source: Flight International