This instrument pair will attempt to measure the poorly 
understood global magnetic properties of Mars. On Earth, an 
extremely powerful magnetic field surrounds the planet. The 
magnetism results from an enormous amount of molten iron churning 
at the center of the Earth. 

In comparison, data returned from previous Mars missions 
indicates that the Martian magnetic field is extremely weak and 
almost non-existent. By looking at data from Surveyor’s 
magnetometer and electron reflectometer, scientists hope to learn 
about the interior composition of Mars. Such a study will also 
yield insight into the history of the geophysical forces that 
shaped Mars. Scientists hope to learn how those forces differed 
from those that shaped the Earth.

Unlike the other instruments, the magnetometer is not attached to 
the main body of the spacecraft. Instead, each one of the 
magnetometer’s two sensors sit at opposite ends of the spacecraft 
at the ends of Surveyor’s two solar arrays. This placement 
ensures that the data generated from the magnetometer sensors 
will not be "polluted" by the magnetic signal from the 
spacecraft.