Planetary Observer program

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NASA's Planetary Observer series was still-birthed, resulting in only one, failed, mission.

After the “flagship” multibillion-dollar missions of the 1970s, in the 1980s NASA was looking for a new, more affordable direction for the 1990s and beyond. Two projects were conceived by NASA's Solar System Exploration Committee in 1983, the Planetary Observer program, and Mariner Mark II.

The Observer program, starting with the Mars Observer, was envisioned as a series of low-cost missions to the inner solar system, based on commercial Earth satellites, while the Mariner Mark II was to be a series of large spacecraft for the exploration of the outer solar system.

However, Congressionally imposed reductions to FY 1992-93 funding requirements forced NASA to terminate the Planetary Observer program, with just the Mars Observer funded.

1. Mars Observer
2. Lunar Observer (LO) - Proposed 1997 launch, would have been sent into a long-term lunar orbit, at 60 miles above the moon's poles.
3. Mercury Observer (MO) - Proposed 1997 launch.

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