Back in 1996, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) began preparing to return to Mars 
by launching the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. The plan was to design a satellite 
that would orbit the red planet and send a variety of useful information back to earth. 
Among other objectives, NASA hoped to learn more about Martian surface characteristics, 
generate the best map of Mars to date, and discover more about the planet's weather throughout 
its 687-day year.


To do this, NASA and JPL needed to build a better spaceship. More than just a high tech 
dishwasher, this bird needed to be able to make the long journey to Mars and survive the 
long Martian year without malfunctioning. (There are no grease monkeys in space.) The 
resulting spacecraft is 2,342 pounds -- most of which is centered in its box-shaped 
center which contains smaller cartons housing all of the high-tech gizmos that provide 
NASA with data, as well as the propulsion equipment which allows the craft to be steered 
into position by NASA scientists.


EETA79001, a basaltic shergottite, has light-colored xenoliths and dark glasses 
containing trapped martian atmosphere. 

ALHA77005, herzolitic shergottite has a splotchy dark-light structure.