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Mars Pathfinder lander and its Sojourner rover were a technology demonstration of a new way to deliver an instrumented lander and the first-ever robotic rover to the surface of the red planet. The mission was conceived as the first of the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) program.
Mars Pathfinder used an innovative method of directly entering the Martian atmosphere, assisted by a parachute to slow its descent through the thin Martian atmosphere and a giant system of airbags to cushion the impact.
Mars Pathfinder returned 2.3 billion bits of information, including more than 16,500 images from the lander and 550 images from the rover, as well as more than 15 chemical analyses of rocks and soil and extensive data on winds and other weather factors.
Spacecraft connection to the Museum
Spacecraft connection to the Museum
NASA's full scale engineering prototype of Pathfinder and Sojourner is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. More details about the spacecraft are located on its label on the main floor in the Space Hangar.
Additional spacecraft information
Additional spacecraft information
When did Pathfinder and Sojourner launch from Earth and land on Mars?
Launch: Pathfinder and Sojourner launched on December 4, 1996 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Mars Landing: Pathfinder and Sojourner landed on July 4, 1997 at Ares Vallis, Mars
Mission Status: Inactive The mission was planned to last from a week to a month, the rover operated successfully for almost three months. Communication failed after October 7, 1997 with a final data transmission received from Pathfinder at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, but the mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.
What were the mission objectives for Pathfinder?
To prove that the development of "faster, better and cheaper" spacecraft was possible (with three years for development and a cost under $150 million).
To show that it was possible to send a load of scientific instruments to another planet with a simple system and at one-fifteenth the cost of a Viking mission. (For comparison, the Viking missions cost $935 million in 1974 or $3.5 billion in 1997 dollars.)
To demonstrate NASA's commitment to low-cost planetary exploration by finishing the mission with a total expenditure of $280 million, including the launch vehicle and mission operations.
What were some of the findings from the Pathfinder's missions?
Rounded pebbles and cobbles at the landing site, and other observations, suggested conglomerates that formed in running water during a warmer past in which liquid water was stable.
Radio tracking of Mars Pathfinder provided a precise measure of the lander's location and Mars' pole of rotation. The measurements suggested that the radius of the planet's central metallic core is greater than 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) but less than roughly 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers).
Airborne dust is magnetic, and its characteristics suggest the magnetic mineral is maghemite, a very magnetic form of iron oxide, which may have been freeze-dried on the particles as a stain or cement. An active water cycle in the past may have leached out the iron from materials in the crust.
Dust devils were seen and frequently measured by temperature, wind and pressure sensors. Observations suggested that these gusts are a mechanism for mixing dust into the atmosphere.
Early morning water ice clouds were seen in the lower atmosphere.
Abrupt temperature fluctuations were recorded in the morning, suggesting that the atmosphere is warmed by the planet's surface, with heat convected upward in small eddies.
What were some of the instruments on Pathfinder and what were their purposes?
Three Cameras - provided images of the surrounding terrain for geological studies, and documented the performance and operating environment for Pathfinder mission technologies.
Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package -measured the Martian atmosphere during Pathfinder's descent to the surface, and provided meteorological measurements at the lander.
What was the primary power source for Pathfinder?
Mars Pathfinder is powered by solar arrays "petals" that open once landed. The petals are made of gallium-arsenide solar cells. During the night time and for peak power loads the spacecraft is powered using the same rechargeable battery used during cruise
During Launch and the Entry, Descent and Landing on the surface of Mars the spacecraft will be powered by a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery has silver cathode, zinc electrode, and potassium hydroxide electrolyte.
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