Mars Pathfinder, and the first rover on Mars
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| Sojourner rover imaged by Pathfinder. Credit: NASA/JPL |
Pathfinder was the first NASA mission to Mars that brought a rover along with it. The mission was designed to be low cost and high reward.
The Mission
Pathfinder and Sojourner launched aboard a Delta II rocket on December 4, 1996. The spacecraft composed of a cruise stage, with solar panels and thrusters. A main lander called "Pathfinder," which would use big airbags to soften its landing on the surface. The rover was stored in the lander, and would deploy by driving off some ramps onto the Martian surface.
Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. The spacecraft's heat sheld sloed it down a lot during decent, but not enough to stop it from slamming into the surface. Pathfinder deployed parachutes as well, but again, these aren't enough to slow the spacecraft down in Mars' thin atmosphere. Instead, the spacecraft deployed giant airbags to cushion its fall. After bouncing 15 times, the lander settled into position, and deflated the airbags.
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| 360 View of Pathfinder landing site with Sojourner rover investigating a rock. Credit: NASA/JPL |
Pathfinder deployed the Sojourner rover the next day. Sojourner analized the chemical makeup of various rocks, and took 550 images while it roved around for a total of 83 days. Data from Sojourner showed that the rocks surrounding the landing area were volcanic in nature. Pathfinder eventually lost contact with mission control on September 27, 1997. Pathfinder was later renamed the Sagan Memorial Station, after Carl Sagan.
The Target
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| Image of Mars from the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS |
- Date Discovered: Known To The Ancients
- Radius: 3389.5 Kilometres
- Surface Pressure: 0.0099 Atmospheres
- Mass: 6.4169x10^23 Kilograms
- Density: 3.93 g/cm^3
- Rotational Period: 24.62 Hours
- Orbital Period: 686.98 Days
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