SPACE.com -- Mars Polar Lander Maneuver Rescheduled Again

This diagram shows the Mars Polar Lander's Orbit since it was launched from Earth Jan. 3 until it's scheduled landing on Mars Dec. 3. Credit: NASA/JPL. Click to enlarge.

This diagram shows the relative orbits of the Mars Polar Lander and Mars. The spacecraft orbit is indicated in blue. The orbit of Mars is shown in white. Click to enlarge.

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	Mars Polar Lander Maneuver Rescheduled Again By Greg Clark Staff Writer posted: 06:25 pm ET 20 October 1999

Mission officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have postponed for a second time a routine course-correction maneuver planned for the Mars Polar Lander

Mission officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have postponed for a second time a routine course-correction maneuver planned for the Mars Polar Lander.

The thruster burn, which was originally planned for Oct. 7, was rescheduled to Oct. 20 as investigators examined the causes of the navigation errors that caused the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter last month.

Because those investigations are continuing, mission controllers made the decision to postpone the maneuver again, JPL spokesman Frank O'Donnell said.

With more than six weeks left in the spacecraft's voyage to Mars, controllers have said there is still plenty of time to conduct the remaining aiming maneuvers.