Mars Global Surveyor: Technology – NASA Science

Early in the mission, Mars Global Surveyor used small thrusters to adjust the reaction wheels and keep the spacecraft from drifting off course or off balance. With the angular momentum management plan, the spacecraft balanced itself naturally, without needing as much fuel to fight the external forces of gravity. For example, instead of pointing straight down, the spacecraft was tilted backward 16 degrees, which helped distribute the gravitational pull of the planet more evenly on the body of the spacecraft and cut fuel consumption by 800%.