Which NASA spacecraft mapped Mars from 1997 until contact was lost in 2006?

NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor mapped Mars from 1997 until contact was lost in 2006. Launched on 7 November 1996, the spacecraft entered orbit around Mars in September 1997 and became one of the most productive Mars orbiters ever flown.

Its instruments built detailed global maps of Martian topography, surface minerals, magnetic fields, dust activity, and seasonal changes. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter produced an exceptionally important global elevation map, while the Mars Orbiter Camera repeatedly imaged the surface and revealed changes such as dust avalanches and new dark deposits.

Mars Global Surveyor also helped evaluate landing sites for later missions, including NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers and Phoenix. It operated far beyond its original planned mission and continued returning science for years after its primary mapping phase ended.

The spacecraft stopped communicating in November 2006 after a command involving its solar panels. It is sometimes confused with Mars Odyssey, which arrived later and remains associated with long-running orbital observations.