Live From Mars was active July 1996-December 1997.

global surveyor

Mars Global Surveyor

The Mars Global Surveyor mission is an important one. Launched November 6, 1996 on a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Surveyor will arrive at Mars 10 months later on September 15, 1997. In late January 1998 the spacecraft will explore the atmosphere and terrain of Mars to produce maps of surface topography, mineral distribution and climate. It will also relay signals from other landers and probes for three more years.

Surveyor is the first in a series of Mars-bound orbiter-lander pairs that will be launched every 26 months for a decade. It is hoped that the Mars Surveyor program will not only provide valuable information about Mars for years to come, but that it will aid in the development of new technologies for future missions.