Editing Deep Space 2 (section)

== Mission failure ==
The probes reached Mars along with the Mars Polar Lander mission, apparently without incident, but communication was never established after impact. It is not known what the cause of failure was.

A failure review board was commissioned to report on the failures of the Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 probes.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/2000/2000_mpl_report_1.pdf |title=Report on the Loss of the Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 Missions |publisher=[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213144413/ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/2000/2000_mpl_report_1.pdf |archive-date=2015-12-13 |url-status=dead |date=March 22, 2000 }}</ref> The review board was unable to identify a probable cause of failure,<ref name="report"/> but suggested several possible causes:
* The probe radio equipment had a low chance of surviving the impact.
* The batteries may have failed on impact.
* The probes may have bounced on impact.
* The probes may have landed on their sides, resulting in bad antenna performance or radio link geometry.
* The probes may simply have hit ground that was too rocky for survival.

The board concluded that the probes and their components were not tested adequately before launch.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="report">{{Cite press release |first=Thomas|last=Young|title=Testimony of Thomas Young, Chairman of the Mars Program Independent Assessment Team before the House Science Committee |version=Draft #7 3/13/00 |publisher=House Science and Technology Committee |url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1444 |date=March 14, 2000 |access-date=April 22, 2009}}</ref>

{{Gallery
|File:DS-2 Components.jpg|Deep Space 2 penetrator
|File:Flight 1 probe of Deep Space 2 in Pre-Impact Configuration Microprobe-5.jpg|Deep Space 2 surface element
|Ds 2.jpg|DS-2 entry aeroshell
|Ds2.jpg|Visualization of Deep Space 2 as deployed after penetration
|File:DS2 Probe-anim.gif|DS2 functional animation
|file:DS2 components.png|DS2 probe components
}}