How many spacecraft in orbit around Mars today?

So how many spacecraft are in orbit around Mars today, both living and dead?
I count 4 for su MGS, Odyssey, Mars Express and the Viking 1 orbiter. I
can't find any info online as to whether the Viking 2 Orbiter and Mariner 9
have entered the Martian atmosphere.

I'm assuming Mars Observer never made orbit and Mars Climate Orbiter burned
up.

I'm also unsure as to the ultimate fates Russia's Mars 2,3 and 5 and Phobos
2.

In article ,
Daniel McCarthy wrote:
So how many spacecraft are in orbit around Mars today, both living and dead?
I count 4 for su MGS, Odyssey, Mars Express and the Viking 1 orbiter. I
can't find any info online as to whether the Viking 2 Orbiter and Mariner 9
have entered the Martian atmosphere.

If memory serves, both should still be up, although Mariner 9 may be
getting a bit low by now. Nobody really knows for sure...

I'm assuming Mars Observer never made orbit and Mars Climate Orbiter burned
up.

Both are virtually certain. We're now pretty sure what happened to MO,
based on things that have come out since the failure report; it did not
make its MOI burn. And it's marginally possible that MCO made *one* orbit,
but the perigee would have been way too low for it to make a second one.

I'm also unsure as to the ultimate fates Russia's Mars 2,3 and 5 and Phobos
2.

Phobos 2 is almost certainly still in roughly Phobos's orbit, and will be
for a long time. (It may crash on Phobos, but it'll still be in the same
orbit. :-))

I think the earlier Russian Mars orbiters fall under the same heading as
the Vikings and Mariner 9: probably still in orbit, hard to be sure.
--
MOST launched 30 June; science observations running | Henry Spencer
since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending. |

Thanks!


"Henry Spencer" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Daniel McCarthy wrote:
So how many spacecraft are in orbit around Mars today, both living and
dead?
I count 4 for su MGS, Odyssey, Mars Express and the Viking 1 orbiter.
I
can't find any info online as to whether the Viking 2 Orbiter and Mariner
9
have entered the Martian atmosphere.

If memory serves, both should still be up, although Mariner 9 may be
getting a bit low by now. Nobody really knows for sure...

I'm assuming Mars Observer never made orbit and Mars Climate Orbiter
burned
up.

Both are virtually certain. We're now pretty sure what happened to MO,
based on things that have come out since the failure report; it did not
make its MOI burn. And it's marginally possible that MCO made *one*
orbit,
but the perigee would have been way too low for it to make a second one.

I'm also unsure as to the ultimate fates Russia's Mars 2,3 and 5 and
Phobos
2.

Phobos 2 is almost certainly still in roughly Phobos's orbit, and will be
for a long time. (It may crash on Phobos, but it'll still be in the same
orbit. :-))

I think the earlier Russian Mars orbiters fall under the same heading as
the Vikings and Mariner 9: probably still in orbit, hard to be sure.
--
MOST launched 30 June; science observations running | Henry Spencer
since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending. |