Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter

MOLA topographic images of the two hemispheres of Mars. This image appeared on the cover of Science magazine in May 1999.

The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) was one of five instruments on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft, which operated in Mars orbit from September 1997 to November 2006. However, the MOLA instrument transmitted altimetry data only until June 2001. The MOLA instrument transmitted infrared laser pulses towards Mars at a rate of 10 times per second and measured the time of flight to determine the range (distance) of the MGS spacecraft to the Martian surface. The range measurements resulted in precise topographic maps of Mars. The precision maps are applicable to studies in geophysics, geology and atmospheric circulation. MOLA also functioned as a passive radiometer and measured the radiance of the surface of Mars at 1064 nanometers.[1]

  1. ^ This article contains public domain material from NASA Goddard Flight Center web site."Planetary Laser Altimetry MOLA" (General description online). NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved February 14, 2011.