Goals: Mars Polar Lander was to be the first-ever landing in the polar regions of Mars. The lander was equipped with cameras, a robotic arm and instruments to measure the composition of Martian soil. It also carried the Deep Space 2 microprobes which were to pentrate and sample the Martian surface.
Accomplishments: None. Both missions were lost when Mars Polar Lander crashed on Mars. An investigation found the most likely cause of the mishap was a false signal that the spacecraft had landed when in fact it had only deployed its legs and was still descending. The signal shut down the main engines and the spacecraft crashed into Mars at high speed.