On March 28, NASA released the final report of the Mars Program Independent Assessment Team (MPIAT), formed to investigate the recent failure of the Mars Polar Lander. Headed by Thomas Young, the team concluded that they were "almost certain" that the accident was the result of a premature engine shutdown, probably caused by a spurious signal from one of the spacecraft's three landing legs,...

The latest release from the Space Telescope Science Institute's site (last reviewed in the August 3, 2001 Scout Report) provides a unique look at a global dust storm on Mars using images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Hubble Space Telescope. Offerings include photographs, illustrations, and animations of the dust storm as well as a press release, background information, fast facts, and...