MSSS has a long history of interaction with the general public through
participation in the Marslink program for middle and high-school students,
administered by The Planetary Society. In addition, the MSSS World-Wide Web
server (http://www.msss.com) provides information on space exploration and
martian geology, and direct net access to a large fraction of the Viking
Orbiter image dataset. Since its inception in early 1994, the MSSS Web server
has processed over 200,000 requests for information. MSSS also prepared
computer animations for Mars Observer press conferences, and was in the final
stages of developing a real-time data display for MOC data at JPL and the
National Air and Space Museum at the time Mars Observer was lost; similar
efforts for Mars Global Surveyor are planned.
For MARCI data, the following types of public data distribution would be
available:
- near-real-time, full-resolution image displays over the Internet
- access to the image archive via MSSS Web server
- special processing and limited hardcopy for educational materials distributed
by NASA and special-interest groups such as The Planetary Society
- physical and "virtual reality" tours and student participation in mission
operations through the MSSS facility
- instrument progress and status updates during development, testing, and
flight, including sample images
- animations derived from MARCI data products for broad distribution
Operations of the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter are unlikely be treated as a "media
event" because of the long period of relative inactivity during the orbit
insertion phase of the mission. However, when operations finally do commence,
the focus of public interest will almost certainly be on imaging products, and
the rapid production and distribution of MARCI products will be essential.
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