People in Control Room, 1970s

The transcript describes the challenges faced when the first images from a Mars mission arrived, highlighting the difficulty of landing a spacecraft among jagged cliffs. It explains the decision to select a new landing site, which was influenced by the trajectory of a second orbiter en route to Mars. The second orbiter played a crucial role in determining the new landing site.

How was the selection of the new landing site timed?

What role did the second orbiter play in determining the landing site?