Mars Pathfinder

The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II rocket, just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. After a 7-month voyage it landed on Ares Vallis, in a region called Chryse Planitia on Mars, on 4 July 1997. During its voyage the spacecraft had to accomplish four flight adjustments on 10 January, 3 February, 6 May and 25 June. The lander opened, exposing the rover called Sojourner (named after the famous American abolitionist Sojourner Truth) that would go on to execute different experiments on the Martian surface.

Related Topics:
December 4 - 1996 - NASA - Delta II rocket - Mars Global Surveyor - Ares Vallis - Chryse Planitia - 4 July - 1997 - 10 January - 3 February - 6 May - 25 June - Lander - American - Abolitionist - Sojourner Truth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The mission carried a series of different scientific instruments to analyze the Martian atmosphere, climate, geology and the composition of its rocks and soil. It was the second project from NASA's Discovery Program, which promotes the use of low-cost spacecraft and frequent launches under the motto "cheaper, faster and better" promoted by the then administrator, Daniel Goldin. The mission was directed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology, responsible for NASA's Mars Exploration Program.

Related Topics:
Atmosphere - Climate - Geology - Rocks - Discovery Program - Daniel Goldin - Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Technology - Mars Exploration Program

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This mission to Mars, besides being the first of a series of missions to Mars that included rovers (robotic exploration vehicles), was the most important since the Vikings landed on the red planet in 1976, and also was the first mission to send a rover to the surface of another planet.

Related Topics:
Mars - Vikings - 1976 - Planet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Though completely successful and completing real objectives, the Mars Pathfinder mission can be regarded as a "proof-of-concept" for various technologies, such as airbag-mediated touchdown and automated obstacle avoidance, both later exploited by the Mars Exploration Rovers. The Mars Pathfinder was also remarkable for its extremely low price relative to other unmanned space missions. This was an important achievement, considering that approximately two-thirds of the spacecrafts destined for Mars have either failed to launch or were lost en route. (See Mars Climate Orbiter in particular.)

Related Topics:
Airbag - Mars Exploration Rover - Mars Climate Orbiter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~