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PIA00631: Sojourner & terrain

The undeployed Sojourner rover is seen still latched to a lander petal in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 1, the lander's first day on Mars. Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. The rectangular rock at right has been dubbed "Flat top," and may be a possible object of study for Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. The mismatched portion of image at left is a misregistered section of data.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00631: Sojourner & terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00985: Pebbles and Cobbles at MPF Site

Pebbles are seen in lander images, along with cobbles. For example, in this picture, we see the same pebbles that were visible in the Sojourner rover image of the "Cabbage Patch" (PIA00984). In addition, a cobble within the rock "Lamb" (upper left) is apparent. This indicates that Lamb may be a conglomerate (Lamb is 0.32 m x 0.15 m).

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00985: Pebbles and Cobbles at MPF Site sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00769: Airbag and ASI/MET instrument in 360-degree panorama

This view from the lander was imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) as part of a 360-degree color panorama, taken over sols 8, 9 and 10. A deflated airbag is at the bottom of the image. At the extreme right, the Atmospheric Structure Instrument and Meteorology package (ASI/MET) mast, with its three windsocks, is visible.are at the bottom right of the image.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00769: Airbag and ASI/MET instrument in 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01548: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 39 Sunrise

Sunrise, sol 39. This true color, pre-sunrise image (approximately 0530LST) is composed of six images extending 30 ° in azimuth and 45 ° in elevation and shows the brownish gray predawn sky. A description of the techniques used to generate this color image from IMP data can be found in Maki et al., 1999. Note: a calibrated output device is required accurately reproduce the correct colors.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01548: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 39 Sunrise sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00636: Flat Top & rocky terrain

Flat Top, the rectangular rock at lower right, is part of a stretch of rocky terrain in this image, taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. Dust has accumulated on the top of Flat Top, but is not present on the sides due to the steep angles of the rock. This dust may have been placed by dust storms moving across the Martian surface. Flat Top has been studied using several different color filters on the IMP camera.

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PIA00982: Barnacle Bill and Surrounding from Super-Pan

This is an image from the super-pan sequence. Of importance are some of the features around the rock nicknamed Barnacle Bill in the left foreground. The rock shows a "streamlined tail" composed of particles deposited by wind on the leeward (downwind) side of the rock. Also seen is a "moat" around the opposite (windward) side of the rock where either erosion (or non-deposition) of fine sediment has occurred. Mars Pathfinder scientist believe that the wind blowing over and around rocks like Barnacle Bill creates an airflow pattern wherein a buffer zone is formed immediately upwind of the rock and airflow patterns keep sediment from being deposited directly upwind of Barnacle Bill. On the downwind side, however, the airflow is complex and a small wake and tapered "dead air zone" form. Sediment can be deposited within this region, the shape of the formed deposit corresponds to the airflow patterns that exist behind the rock. Similar features have been observed at the Viking landing sites, and are thought to form under high wind conditions during the autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere. This image mosaic was processed by the U.S. Geological Survey in support of the NASA/JPL Mars Pathfinder Mars Mission.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00982: Barnacle Bill and Surrounding from Super-Pan sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01004: ASI/MET Within Color-Enhanced Panorama

This is a sub-section of the "geometrically improved, color enhanced" version of the 360-degree panorama heretofore known as the "Gallery Pan," the first contiguous, uniform panorama taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over the course of Sols 8, 9, and 10. Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama.

The IMP is a stereo imaging system that, in its fully deployed configuration, stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters. In this geometrically improved version of the panorama, distortion due to a 2.5 degree tilt in the IMP camera mast has been removed, effectively flattening the horizon.

The IMP has color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye." Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this image. The color was digitally balanced according to the color transmittance capability of a high-resolution TV at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and is dependent on that device. In this color enhanced version of the panorama, detail in surface features are brought out via changes to saturation and intensity, holding the original hue constant. A threshold was applied to avoid changes to the sky.

At the bottom of the image, two of the Lander petals are visible. At the extreme right of the image, the Atmospheric Structure Instrument and Meteorology package (ASI/MET) mast, with its three windsocks, is visible.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01004: ASI/MET Within Color-Enhanced Panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00921: Sojourner's APXS at Shark

The Sojourner rover is seen next to the rock "Shark," in this image taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) near the end of daytime operations on Sol 52. The rover's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer is deployed against the rock. The rock "Wedge" is in the foreground.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00921: Sojourner's APXS at Shark sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00638: Sojourner near Barnacle Bill

Sojourner is visible in this image, one of the first taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. The rover has moved from this position into one that later facilitated its using the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on Barnacle Bill. The APXS, located at the rear of the rover, is not visible in this image.

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00638: Sojourner near Barnacle Bill sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01120: Pathfinder on Mars

Based on the first direct measurements ever obtained of Martian rocks and terrain, scientists on NASA's Mars Pathfinder mission report in this week's Science magazine that the red planet may have once been much more like Earth, with liquid water streaming through channels and nourishing a much thicker atmosphere.

Among the more significant discoveries of the Mars Pathfinder mission was the identification of possible conglomerate rocks, which suggests the presence of running water to smooth and round the pebbles and cobbles, and deposit them in a sand or clay matrix, says Dr. Matthew Golombek, Mars Pathfinder project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. This scenario supports the theory that Mars was once warmer and wetter.

"If you consider all of the evidence we have at Ares Vallis -- the rounded pebbles and cobbles and the possible conglomerate, the abundant sand and dust-sized particles and models for their origins, in addition to the high silica rocks," Golombek says, "it suggests a water-rich planet that may have been more Earth-like than previously recognized, with a warmer and wetter past in which liquid water was stable and the atmosphere was thicker."

A panoramic view of Pathfinder's Ares Vallis landing site, featured on the cover of the Dec. 5 issue of Science, reveals traces of this warmer, wetter past, showing a floodplain covered with a variety of rock types, boulders, rounded and semi-rounded cobbles and pebbles. These rocks and pebbles are thought to have been swept down and deposited by floods which occurred early in Mars' evolution in the Ares and Tiu regions near the Pathfinder landing site.

The cover image, which is a 75-frame, color-enhanced mosaic taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder, looks to the southwest toward the Rock Garden, a cluster of large, angular rocks tilted in a downstream direction from the floods. The image shows the Pathfinder rover, Sojourner, snuggled against a rock nicknamed Moe. The south peak of two hills, known as Twin Peaks, can be seen on the horizon, about 1 kilometer (6/10ths of a mile) from the lander. The rocky surface is comprised of materials washed down from the highlands and deposited in this ancient outflow channel by a catastrophic flood.

"Before the Pathfinder mission, knowledge of the kinds of rocks present on Mars was based mostly on the Martian meteorites found on Earth, which are all igneous rocks rich in magnesium and iron and relatively low in silica," Golombek and a team of Pathfinder scientists report in a paper entitled, "Overview of the Mars Pathfinder Mission and Assessment of Landing Site Predictions." The paper summarizes the scientific results of the mission, which are also detailed in six other papers in this issue. The scientists report that chemical analyses of more than 16 rocks and studies of different regions of soil -- along with spectral imaging of rock colors, textures and structures -- have confirmed that these rocks have compositions distinct from those of the Martian meteorites found on Earth.

"The rocks that were analyzed by the rover's alpha proton X-ray spectrometer were basaltic or volcanic rocks, with granite-like origins, known as andesitic rocks," Golombek reports. "The high silica or quartz content of some rocks suggests that they were formed as the crust of Mars was being recycled, or cooled and heated up, by the underlying mantle. Analyses of rocks with lower silica content appear to be rich in sulfur, implying that they are covered with dust or weathered. Rover images show that some rocks appear to have small air sacks or cavities, which would indicate that they may be volcanic. In addition, the soils are chemically distinct from the rocks measured at the landing site."

The remarkably successful Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, part of NASA's Discovery program of fast track, low-cost missions with highly focused science objectives, was the first spacecraft to explore Mars in more than 20 years. In all, during its three months of operations, the mission returned about 2.6 gigabits of data, which included more than 16,000 images of the Martian landscape from the lander camera, 550 images from the rover and about 8.5 million temperature, pressure and wind measurements.

The rover traveled a total of about 100 meters (328 feet) in 230 commanded maneuvers, performed more than 16 chemical analyses of rocks and soil, carried out soil mechanics and technology experiments, and explored about 250 square meters (820 square feet) of the Martian surface. The flight team lost communication with the lander on Sept. 27, after 83 days of daily commanding and data return. In all, the lander operated nearly three times its design lifetime of 30 days, and the small, 10.5 kilogram (23- pound) rover operated 12 times its design lifetime of seven days.

Now known as the Sagan Memorial Station, the Mars Pathfinder mission was designed primarily to demonstrate a low-cost way of delivering a set of science instruments and a free-ranging rover to the surface of the red planet. Landers and rovers of the future will share the heritage of spacecraft designs and technologies first tested in this "pathfinding"

Voir l'image PIA01120: Pathfinder on Mars sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00767: Northeast View in 360-degree panorama

This view to the Northeast was imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) as part of a 360-degree color panorama, taken over sols 8, 9 and 10. A deflated airbag is at the bottom of the image.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00767: Northeast View in 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01546: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 10 at noon

The true color of Mars based upon three filters with the sky set to aluminance of 60. The color of the Pathfinder landing site is yellowish brown with only subtle variations. These colors are identical to the measured colors of the Viking landing sites reported by Huck et al. [1977]. This image was taken near local noon on Sol 10. A description of the techniques used to generate this color image from IMP data can be found in Maki et al., 1999. Note: a calibrated output device is required accurately reproduce the correct colors.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01546: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 10 at noon sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01003: Sojourner Within Color-Enhanced Panorama

On the horizon the double "Twin Peaks" are visible, about 1- 2 kilometers away. The rock "Couch" is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. A Lander petal is visible on the left, showing the fully deployed rear ramp, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock "Barnacle Bill," which scientists found to be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock "Yogi." Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appears more like the common basalts found on Earth.

The tracks and circular pattern in the soil leading up to Yogi were part of Sojourner's soil mechanics experiments, in which varying amounts of pressure were applied to the wheels in order to determine physical properties of the soil. During its traverse to Yogi the rover stirred the soil and exposed material from several centimeters in depth. During one of the turns to deploy Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer, the wheels dug particularly deeply and exposed white material. Spectra of this white material show it is virtually identical to the rock "Scooby Doo," and such white material may underlie much of the site. Deflated airbags are visible at the perimeter of the Lander petals.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01003: Sojourner Within Color-Enhanced Panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00643: Lower portions of Yogi & rover wheel

The image was taken by a camera aboard the Sojourner rover on Sol 4. The large rock Yogi can be seen at the upper right portion of the image. Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer instrument is currently studying the sand around Yogi, and may study Yogi itself later on. One of Sojourner's cleated wheels is visible at lower right.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00643: Lower portions of Yogi & rover wheel sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01573: Sojourner Near Chimp - Right Eye

This image mosaic taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) shows the Sojourner rover near the large rock "Chimp" on the afternoon of Sol 72 (September 15). Prior to the acquisition of the image, Sojourner successfully traversed the terrain between Chimp and the "Rock Garden," an assemblage of large rocks to the right of this mosaic.

This image and PIA01572 (left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00752: New 360 degree color gallery panorama

This is the first contiguous, uniform 360-degree color panorama taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over the course of sols 8, 9, and 10. Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama. At left is a lander petal and a metallic mast which is a portion of the low-gain antenna. On the horizon the double "Twin Peaks" are visible, about 1-2 kilometers away. The rock "Couch" is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. Another lander petal is at left-center, showing the fully deployed forward ramp at far left, and rear ramp at right, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock Barnacle Bill, which scientists found to be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock Yogi. Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appeared more like the common basalts found on Earth. The tracks and circular pattern in the soil leading up to Yogi were part of Sojourner's soil mechanics experiments, in which varying amounts of pressure were applied to the wheels in order to determine physical properties of the soil. During its traverse to Yogi the rover stirred the soil and exposed material from several centimeters in depth. During one of the turns to deploy Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer, the wheels dug particularly deeply and exposed white material. Spectra of this white material show it is virtually identical to the rock Scooby Doo, and such white material may underlie much of the site. Deflated airbags are visible at the perimeter of all three lander petals.

The IMP is a stereo imaging system with color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye." Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this image. The IMP, in its fully deployed configuration, stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00752: New 360 degree color gallery panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00783: Sunset over Twin Peaks

This image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) about one minute after sunset on Mars on Sol 21. The prominent hills dubbed "Twin Peaks" form a dark silhouette at the horizon, while the setting sun casts a pink glow over the darkening sky. The image was taken as part of a twilight study which indicates how the brightness of the sky fades with time after sunset. Scientists found that the sky stays bright for up to two hours after sunset, indicating that Martian dust extends very high into the atmosphere.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00783: Sunset over Twin Peaks sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00913: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge

Sojourner's left rear wheel is perched on the rock "Wedge" in this image, taken on Sol 47 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is the cylindrical object extending from the back of the rover.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00913: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA04309: The First IMP Image from Mars

The First IMP Image from Mars Acquired by the Mars Pathfinder Imager on 8:42 MLST sol1.

Voir l'image PIA04309: The First IMP Image from Mars sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00914: Sojourner, Wedge, & Shark

This Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) image taken near the end of daytime operations on Sol 50 shows the Sojourner rover between the rocks "Wedge" (foreground) and "Shark" (behind rover). The rover successfully deployed its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer on Shark on Sol 52.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00914: Sojourner, Wedge, & Shark sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00968: Sojourner's APXS at Stimpy - Right Eye

This image shows the Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Stimpy" on the afternoon of Sol 68 (September 11). The two rocks behind the rover were previously analyzed by the APXS.

This image and PIA01563(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00968: Sojourner's APXS at Stimpy - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01574: Wind Tails Near Chimp - Left Eye

This left image of a stereo image pair of the rock "Chimp" was taken by the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Wind tails, oriented from lower right to upper left, are seen next to small pebbles in the foreground. These were most likely produced by wind action.

This image and PIA01575(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00784: Clouds over the eastern Martian horizon

Pink stratus clouds are coming from the northeast at about 15 miles per hour (6.7 meters/second) at an approximate height of ten miles (16 kilometers) above the surface. The clouds consist of water ice condensed on reddish dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds on Mars are sometimes localized and can sometimes cover entire regions, but have not yet been observed to cover the entire planet. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 about forty minutes before sunrise showing areas of the eastern Martian horizon.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00784: Clouds over the eastern Martian horizon sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00966: Sojourner's APXS at Moe - Right Eye

The Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is shown deployed against the rock "Moe" on the afternoon of Sol 64 (September 7). The rocks to the left of Moe are "Shark" (left of Sojourner) and "Half Dome" (behind Sojourner). They were previously measured by the APXS. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).

This image and PIA01560(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00966: Sojourner's APXS at Moe - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00961: Half-Dome Rock

This image of the rock "Half Dome" was taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 71 (September 14). Pits, linear textures, and pronounced topography on the rock are clearly visible.

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PIA01425: Shark as viewed by Sojourner Rover

This close-up image of Shark, in the Bookshelf at the back of the Rock Garden, was taken by Sojourner Rover on Sol 75. Also in the image are Half Dome (right) and Desert Princess (lower right). At the bottom left, a thin "crusty" soil layer has been disturbed by the rover wheels.

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PIA00828: Birdseye View of Pathfinder Landing Site

This image is one frame of an animation that was created by using two mosaics: a color image of the Gallery Pan and an image which indicates the distance to the nearest object at each pixel location, referred to as a range image. The range data set is treated as a displacement map with respect to a sphere's surface, and the color image mosaic is draped onto the inside of the sphere. The position of the camera is fixed at the sphere's center, while its viewing direction is in this case looking at the south pole of the sphere. The mosaics were projected onto a continuous cylindrical/perspective coordinate system spanning 360 degrees of azimuth. The distortion visible near the edges of this image is due to the large field of view, as well as the limitation introduced by using cylindrically-projected images on the sphere - the effects of which are less apparent when smaller fields of view are used.

The image has been rotated so that the main points of interest, which are the "Rock Garden," the rover Sojourner and the rock "Yogi," are easily seen arching across the upper hemisphere. In fixed Mars Surface coordinates, the top of the image looks out towards a point a few degrees north of West. Color has been enhanced to improve contrast in features, and is derived from IMP spectral filters 5, 9 and 0.

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PIA00615: Terrain at Landing Site

Portions of Mars Pathfinder's deflated airbags (seen in the foreground), a large rock in mid-field, and a hill in the background were taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) aboard Mars Pathfinder during the spacecraft's first day on the Red Planet. Pathfinder successfully landed on Mars at 10:07 a.m. PDT earlier today.

The IMP is a stereo imaging system with color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye." It stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00615: Terrain at Landing Site sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00970: Sojourner's APXS at Chimp - Left Eye

This image taken on the morning of Sol 80 (September 23) shows the Sojourner rover with its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Chimp." On the left horizon is the rim of "Big Crater," 2.2 km away.

This image and PIA01585(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00970: Sojourner's APXS at Chimp - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00970: Sojourner's APXS at Chimp - Left Eye PIA02405.jpg =

PIA02405: Twin Peaks in Super Resolution - Left Eye

The Twin Peaks are modest-size hills to the southwest of the Mars Pathfinder landing site. They were discovered on the first panoramas taken by the IMP camera on the 4th of July, 1997, and subsequently identified in Viking Orbiter images taken over 20 years ago. The peaks are approximately 30-35 meters (-100 feet) tall. North Twin is approximately 860 meters (2800 feet) from the lander, and South Twin is about a kilometer away (3300 feet). The scene includes bouldery ridges and swales or "hummocks" of flood debris that range from a few tens of meters away from the lander to the distance of the South Twin Peak.

The composite color frames that make up this "left-eye" image consist of 8 frames, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be. This panchromatic frame was then colorized with the red, green, and blue filtered images from the same sequence. The color balance was adjusted to approximate the true color of Mars.

This image and PIA02406(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA02405: Twin Peaks in Super Resolution - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA04316: Sol 8

Sojourner takes a picture of one of its hazard-detecting laser stripes which is clearly visible against the Martian surface.

Voir l'image PIA04316: Sol 8 sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00669: Rocky terrain & airbags

An area of very rocky terrain at the Ares Vallis landing site, along with the lander's deflated airbags, were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) before its deployment on Sol 2. The high-contrast objects at lower right are portions of the lander and its deflated airbags.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00669: Rocky terrain & airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA04311: First IMP Image Showing Something That Looks Like Mars

This is the first image captured by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP)that dedicates a significant portion of the frame to the Martian surface. This image was acquired by IMP at 8:48 MLST sol 1.

Voir l'image PIA04311: First IMP Image Showing Something That Looks Like Mars sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA04311: First IMP Image Showing Something That Looks Like Mars PIA00612.jpg =

PIA00612: Martian Surface & Pathfinder Airbags

This image of the Martian surface was taken in the afternoon of Mars Pathfinder's first day on Mars. Taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP camera), the image shows a diversity of rocks strewn in the foreground. A hill is visible in the distance (the notch within the hill is an image artifact). Airbags are seen at the lower right.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00612: Martian Surface & Pathfinder Airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00660: Sojourner, Barnacle Bill, & Yogi

This view taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was taken on Sol 3. Barnacle Bill, the small rock at left, and Yogi, the large rock at upper right, have been examined by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument and the rover's cameras. Barnacle Bill has the chemical composition of an andesitic volcanic rock, but may have been produced by sedimentation processes or meteorite impact. The lander's rear ramp which Sojourner used to descend to the Martian surface is at lower left, and a portion of deflated airbag is at lower right.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00660: Sojourner, Barnacle Bill, & Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00905: Sojourner at Wedge

The Sojourner rover is next to the rock "Wedge" in this image taken on Sol 35 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). From this position, the rover later took an image of Wedge from its rear color camera (see PIA00901). The cylindrical instrument protruding from the rear of Sojourner is the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS), an instrument that measures the chemical composition of rocks and soils. The APXS was successfully deployed against Wedge on the night of Sol 37.

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PIA00795: Next Target for Rover

This image shows the area where the Sojourner rover is currently exploring. Having just investigated the Mermaid Dune, at left center, the rover is now heading toward the assemblage of large rocks at right.

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PIA01565: Close-up of Moe - Right Eye

A close-up view of the rock "Moe" in the Rock Garden at the Pathfinder landing site. Moe is a meter-size boulder that, as seen from Sojourner, has a relatively smooth yet pitted texture upon close examination. Such a texture is seen on Earth on rocks that have been abraded by wind in a process that is analogous to sand blasting. This view of Moe shows two faces on the rock, one (left side of the rock) facing north-northeast and the other (right side) facing east. These two faces are thought to have been pitted and fluted by strong, "sand"- carrying winds from the northeast.

This image and PIA01564(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01565: Close-up of Moe - Right Eye PIA00979.jpg =

PIA00979: Roadrunner Flats

This enhanced color image of the Pathfinder landing site shows the eastern horizon. The elongated, reddish, low contrast region in the distance is "Roadrunner Flats." This image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).

| | PIA00979: Roadrunner Flats PIA00792.jpg =

PIA00792: Diverse Rock Named Squash

This image from the Sojourner rover's right front camera was taken on Sol 27. The Pathfinder lander is seen at middle left. The large rock at right, nicknamed "Squash," exhibits a diversity of textures. It looks very similar to a conglomerate, a type of rock found on Earth that forms from sedimentary processes.

| | PIA00792: Diverse Rock Named Squash PIA01562.jpg =

PIA01562: Sojourner Rover Backing Away from Moe - Right Eye

This is the left image of a stereo image pair showing the Sojourner rover in the middle of the afternoon on Sol 66 (September 9). The rover has backed away from the rock "Moe" (to the right of the rover) after measuring its composition with the Alpha Proton X-Ray spectrometer. The next target for Sojourner, the rock "Stimpy," is in front of Moe.

This image and PIA01561(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01562: Sojourner Rover Backing Away from Moe - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01562: Sojourner Rover Backing Away from Moe - Right Eye PIA04318.jpg =

PIA04318: Sojourner Sits Near Rock Garden

The Mars Pathfinder Rover Sojourner is images by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder as it nears the rock "Wedge." Part of the Rock Garden is visible in the upper right of the image.

Pathfinder, a low-cost Discovery mission, is the first of a new fleet of spacecraft that are planned to explore Mars over the next ten years. Mars Global Surveyor, already en route, arrives at Mars on September 11 to begin a two year orbital reconnaissance of the planet's composition, topography, and climate. Additional orbiters and landers will follow every 26 months.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA04318: Sojourner Sits Near Rock Garden sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00667: Rocky terrain & airbags

An area of very rocky terrain at the Ares Vallis landing site, along with the lander's deflated airbags, were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) before its deployment on Sol 2. The metallic object at the bottom is a bracket for the IMP's release mechanism.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00667: Rocky terrain & airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00902: Sojourner moving closer to Wedge

This image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) at the end of Sol 35, shows the Sojourner rover heading toward a rock called "Wedge." The stowed Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument is at the rear of the rover towards the rock.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA00902: Sojourner moving closer to Wedge sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01136: Sojourner Rover View of Souffle Rock

Sojourner's observations in the Ares region on Mars raise and answer questions about the origins of the rocks and other deposits found there. This image shows the vesicular and pitted textures of Souffle Rock (32 cm wide) which could be a result of volcanic, sedimentary, or weathering processes.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

| | PIA01136: Sojourner Rover View of Souffle Rock PIA00776.jpg =

PIA00776: Airbag roll marks & displaced rocks and soil

Looking southwest from the lander, soil disturbances indicating the spacecraft rolled through the landing site are visible. Arriving from the east, the lander, still encased in its protective airbags, rolled up a slight rise and then rolled back down to its final position. The inset at left shows displaced rocks near the rock "Flat Top." Dark patches of disturbed soil indicate where the rocks had originally rested Both insets show rocks that were pushed into the soil from the weight of the lander, visible from the areas of raised rims of dark, disturbed soil around several rocks. The south summit of Twin Peaks is in the background, while a lander petal, deflated airbag, and rear rover deployment ramp are in the foreground.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA00776: Airbag roll marks & displaced rocks and soil sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00776: Airbag roll marks & displaced rocks and soil PIA01557.jpg =

PIA01557: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge - Right Eye

This image and PIA01556(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01557: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01557: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge - Right Eye PIA00652.jpg =

PIA00652: Deflated airbags & terrain

An area of Pathfinder's deflated airbags is visible in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. The lighter areas of soil may be partially composed of salts.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00652: Deflated airbags & terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00655: ASI/MET

The Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) is the mast and windsocks at the center of this color image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. The instrument appears in two different sections due to image parallax. The ASI/MET is an engineering subsytem that acquired atmospheric data during Pathfinder's descent, and will continue to get more data through the entire landed mission. The windsocks are seen pointing almost completely up, representing little wind movement at the three locations of the windsocks. A rock at left holds a shadow of the ASI/MET, indicating the sun's position is at the rear right. Portions of a lander petal and deflated airbag are visible, in addition to several rocks of varying sizes in the distance.

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PIA00771: ASI/MET mast

The Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast is visible against a backdrop of rocky Martian terrain in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The windsocks are slightly tilted, showing some wind activity. Distortions in the background are due to parallax.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00771: ASI/MET mast sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01581: Sojourner Rover Behind Chimp - Right Eye

This right image of a stereo image pair taken on the afternoon of Sol 74 (September 17) shows the Sojourner rover behind the rock "Chimp." Sojourner is now a record 12.3 m from the lander.

This image and PIA01580(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01581: Sojourner Rover Behind Chimp - Right Eye PIA00629.jpg =

PIA00629: Soil and rock "Yogi"

Several possible targets of study for rover Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument are seen in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 2. The smaller rock at left has been dubbed "Barnacle Bill," while the larger rock at right, approximately 3-4 meters from the lander, is now nicknamed "Yogi." Barnacle Bill is scheduled to be the first object of study for the APXS. Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are also visible at lower right.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00629: Soil and rock "Yogi" sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00627: Pathfinder Rear Ramp

Mars Pathfinder's rear rover ramp can be seen successfully unfurled in this image, taken at the end of Sol 2 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). This ramp was later used for the deployment of the microrover Sojourner, which occurred at the end of Sol 2. Areas of a lander petal and deflated airbag are visible at left. The image helped Pathfinder scientists determine that the rear ramp was the one to use for rover deployment. At upper right is the rock dubbed "Barnacle Bill," which Sojourner will later study.

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PIA01138: Sojourner Rover View of Cloddy Deposits near Pooh Bear

Sojourner's observations in the Ares region on Mars raise and answer questions about the origins of the rocks and other deposits found there. Deposits are not the same everywhere. Bright, fine-grained drifts (right center) are abundant as thin (less than a few centimeters), discontinuous ridged sheets and wind tails that overlie cloddy deposits of dust, clods, and tiny (less than 1 cm) rocks.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

| | PIA01138: Sojourner Rover View of Cloddy Deposits near Pooh Bear PIA01559.jpg =

PIA01559: Sojourner Rover Near Half Dome - Right Eye

Sojourner Rover is seen traversing near Half Dome in this image, taken on Sol 59 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is the cylindrical object extending from the back of the rover.

This image and PIA01558(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00620: Radiation calibration targets

Several prominent features of Mars Pathfinder and surrounding terrain are seen in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder on July 4 (Sol 1), the spacecraft's first day on the Red Planet. Portions of a lander petal are at the lower part of the image. At the left, the mechanism for the high-gain antenna can be seen. The dark area along the right side of the image represents a portion of the low-gain antenna. The radiation calibration target is at the right. The calibration target is made up of a number of materials with well-characterized colors. The known colors of the calibration targets allow scientists to determine the true colors of the rocks and soils of Mars. Three bull's-eye rings provide a wide range of brightness for the camera, similar to a photographer's grayscale chart. In the middle of the bull's-eye is a 5-inch tall post that casts a shadow, which is distorted in this image due to its location with respect to the lander camera.

A large rock is located at the near center of the image. Smaller rocks and areas of soil are strewn across the Martian terrain up to the horizon line.

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PIA00939: Close-up of Moe

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PIA01424: Rover Panorama from Sols 75 & 76

This Sojourner rover panorama from Sols 75 and 76 is the only true panorama product (as opposed to the normal "tiled" full frames) produced by the rover. This panorama ranges from Big Crater on the left (about azimuth 160 degrees), past the Twin Peaks and almost all the way to the north horizon, for a swath of about 200 degrees in azimuth.

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PIA00967: Sojourner at Moe - color

This color image shows the Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Moe" on the morning of Sol 65. The rock behind the rover is "Half Dome," which was previously measured by the APXS.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00967: Sojourner at Moe - color sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00967: Sojourner at Moe - color PIA00915.jpg =

PIA00915: A Violet Martian Sky

These clouds from Sol 15 have a new look. As water ice clouds cover the sky, the sky takes on a more bluish cast. This is because small particles (perhaps a tenth the size of the martian dust, or one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair) are bright in blue light, but almost invisible in red light. Thus, scientists expect that the ice particles in the clouds are very small. The clouds were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).

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PIA00670: Sojourner does a wheelie on Yogi

Sojourner has made contact with the rock Yogi in this image, taken with the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) at 8:45 p.m. PDT on Sol 6. The rover's left rear wheel has driven up onto the Yogi's surface in an attempt to get as close as possible to the rock's surface. Sojourner will later use its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to conduct a study of Yogi's chemical composition.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00670: Sojourner does a wheelie on Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00670: Sojourner does a wheelie on Yogi PIA01030.jpg =

PIA01030: Mars Orbiter Camera High Resolution Images: Some Results From The First 6 Weeks In Orbit

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images acquired shortly after orbit insertion were relatively poor in both resolution and image quality. This poor performance was solely the result of low sunlight conditions and the relative distance to the planet, both of which have been progressively improving over the past six weeks. Some of the better images are used here (see PIA01021 through PIA01029) to illustrate how the MOC images provide substantially better views of the martian surface than have ever been recorded previously from orbit.

This U.S. Geological Survey shaded relief map provides an overall context for the MGS MOC images of the Tithonium/Ius Chasma, Ganges Chasma, and Schiaparelli Crater. Closeup images of the Tithonium/Ius Chasma area are visible in PIA01021 through PIA01023. Closeups of Ganges Chasma are available as PIA01027 through PIA01029, and Schiaparelli Crater is shown in PIA01024 through PIA01026. The Mars Pathfinder landing site is shown to the north of the sites of the MGS images.

Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Voir l'image PIA01030: Mars Orbiter Camera High Resolution Images: Some Results From The First 6 Weeks In Orbit sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00969: Sojourner's Farthest Journey

noontime on Sol 75 (September 18). The rover's middle right wheel is raised above the surface. Sojourner is over 12 m from the lander, a mission record. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00969: Sojourner's Farthest Journey sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01575: Wind Tails Near Chimp - Right Eye

This right image of a stereo image pair of the rock "Chimp" was taken by the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Wind tails, oriented from lower right to upper left, are seen next to small pebbles in the foreground. These were most likely produced by wind action.

This image and PIA01574(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00785: First image of clouds over Mars

This is the first image ever taken from the surface of Mars of an overcast sky. Featured are stratus clouds coming from the northeast at about 15 miles per hour (6.7 meters/second) at an approximate height of ten miles (16 kilometers) above the surface. The "you are here" notation marks where Earth was situated in the sky at the time the image was taken. Scientists had hoped to see Earth in this image, but the cloudy conditions prevented a clear viewing. Similar images will be taken in the future with the hope of capturing a view of Earth. From Mars, Earth would appear as a tiny blue dot as a star would appear to an Earthbound observer. Pathfinder's imaging system will not be able to resolve Earth's moon. The clouds consist of water ice condensed on reddish dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds on Mars are sometimes localized and can sometimes cover entire regions, but have not yet been observed to cover the entire planet. The image was taken about an hour and forty minutes before sunrise by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 at about ten degrees up from the eastern Martian horizon.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00785: First image of clouds over Mars sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01572: Sojourner Near Chimp - Left Eye

This image and PIA01573 (right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00753: Soil disturbance by airbags

Disturbance of the drift at the Pathfinder landing site reveals a shallow subsurface that is slightly darker but has similar spectral properties. The top set of images, in true color, shows the soils disturbed by the last bounce of the lander on its airbags before coming to rest and the marks created by retraction of the airbags. In the bottom set of images color differences have been enhanced. The mast at center is the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET). The ASI/MET is an engineering subsytem that acquired atmospheric data during Pathfinder's descent, and will continue to get more data through the entire landed mission. A shadow of the ASI/MET appears on a rock at left.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00753: Soil disturbance by airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00766: Sojourner & Yogi

A close up of Sojourner as it placed its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) upon the surface of the rock Yogi was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over sols 8, 9 and 10. Distortion in the background is due to parallax. Early results of Yogi show it to be low in quartz content, and more primitive than the rock Barnacle Bill, and appeared more like the common basalts found on Earth.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00766: Sojourner & Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01547: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 24 at 4 PM

The brownish gray sky as it would be seen by an observer on Mars in this four-frame, true color mosaic taken on sol 24 (at approximately 1610 LST). The twin peaks can be seen on the horizon. The sky near the sun is a pale blue color. Azimuth extent is 60° and elevation extent is approximately 12°degrees. A description of the techniques used to generate this color image from IMP data can be found in Maki et al., 1999 (see full reference in Image Note). Note: a calibrated output device is required accurately reproduce the correct colors.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01547: True Color of Mars - Pathfinder Sol 24 at 4 PM sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01002: Portion of Enhanced 360-degree Gallery Pan

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01002: Portion of Enhanced 360-degree Gallery Pan sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00642: Lower portions of Yogi

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00642: Lower portions of Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01005: 360-degree Color Panorama

This is a "geometrically improved" version of the 360- degree panorama heretofore known as the "Gallery Pan," the first contiguous, uniform panorama taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over the course of Sols 8, 9, and 10. Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama.

The IMP has color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye." Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this image.

At left is a Lander petal and a metallic mast which is a portion of the low-gain antenna. Misregistration in the antenna and other Lander features is due to parallax in the extreme foreground. On the horizon the double "Twin Peaks" are visible, about 1-2 kilometers away. The rock "Couch" is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. Another Lander petal is at left-center, showing the fully deployed forward ramp at far left, and rear ramp at right, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock "Barnacle Bill," which scientists found to be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock "Yogi." Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appears more like the common basalts found on Earth.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01005: 360-degree Color Panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00920: Close-Up of Sol 24 Sunset

This is a close-up of the sunset on Sol 24 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. The red sky in the background and the blue around the Sun are approximately as they would appear to the human eye. The color of the Sun itself is not correct -- the Sun was overexposed in each of the 3 color images that were used to make this picture. The true color of the Sun itself may be near white or slightly bluish.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00920: Close-Up of Sol 24 Sunset sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00639: Yogi the rock

Yogi, a rock taller than rover Sojourner, is the subject of this image, taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. The soil in the foreground will be the location of multiple soil mechanics experiments performed by Sojourner's cleated wheels. Pathfinder scientists will be able to control the force inflicted on the soil beneath the rover's wheels, giving them insight into the soil's mechanical properties.

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00639: Yogi the rock sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01121: Sojourner Rover View of Pathfinder Lander

Image of Pathfinder Lander on Mars taken from Sojourner Rover left front camera on sol 33. The IMP (on the lattice mast) is looking at the rover. Airbags are prominent, and the meteorology mast is shown to the right. Lowermost rock is Ender, with Hassock behind it and Yogi on the other side of the lander.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

Voir l'image PIA01121: Sojourner Rover View of Pathfinder Lander sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01153: Coordinate Map of Rocks at Pathfinder Landing Site

Mars-local-level (LL frame) coordinate map of rocks counted at the Mars Pathfinder landing site. Positions, apparent diameters (D), and heights (H) were measured to the nearest centimeter in the Mars map virtual reality environment constructed from the "Monster Pan"

Voir l'image PIA01153: Coordinate Map of Rocks at Pathfinder Landing Site sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00637: Twin Peaks

The two hills in the distance, approximately one to two kilometers away, have been dubbed the "Twin Peaks" and are of great interest to Pathfinder scientists as objects of future study. The white areas on the left hill, called the "Ski Run" by scientists, may have been formed by hydrologic processes.

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PIA00983: Pits and Flutes on Stimpy

The rock "Stimpy" is seen in this close-up image taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 70 (September 13). Detailed texture on the rock, such as pits and flutes, are clearly visible.

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PIA00630: Terrain and rock "Yogi"

The left portion of this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 2, shows a portion of the large rock nicknamed "Yogi." Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. The dark circular object at right is a portion of the lander's high-gain antenna.

| | PIA00630: Terrain and rock "Yogi" PIA00984.jpg =

PIA00984: Cabbage Patch

This Sojourner rover image of the Cabbage Patch shows small rounded objects on the surface that are about 3-4 cm across. Some of these are within excavations, which are about 0.5 cm wide. Several questions arise about the pebbles: Why are they rounded? Where did they come from? What do they mean?

Geologists use MULTIPLE WORKING HYPOTHESES when attempting to explain observations. Some hypotheses that could account for the pebbles are: They were rounded during transport by waters of catastrophic floods and deposited on the Ares Vallis floodplain They were rounded by wave action on an ancient Martian beach They were rounded during glacial transport They are glasses that were produced by melting during impact cratering. The glass was first ejected from the crater, then molded into spherical shapes or drops as it traveled through the atmosphere, and finally was deposited at the sites They are spatter from lava flows They are nodules brought up from the deep Martian interior by lava flows or pyroclastic eruptions. They are concretions formed in sedimentary rocks They came from ancient conglomerate rocks. The pebbles were rounded by water action and subsequently lithified into conglomerate rocks. Later, the waters of catastrophic floods transported the conglomerates and deposited them on the Ares floodplain. The pebbles were then freed from the rocks by weathering. A combination of the above

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PIA00768: Close-up of deflated airbag

Details of one of Pathfinder's deflated airbags adjacent to a lander petal are prominent in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The blue tiles on top of the petal are solar cells that are used to give power to the lander.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00768: Close-up of deflated airbag sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01549: Mosaic of Mermaid Dune

Mars Pathfinder Lander camera image of Sojourner Rover atop the "Mermaid Dune' on Sol 30. Note the dark material excavated by the rover wheels. These, and other excavations brought materials to the surface for examination and allowed estimates of mechanical properties of the deposits.

"Mermaid Dune" is also shown in PIA01132. This version is a mosaic of that release with data of the surrounding terrain from the Gallery panorama.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01549: Mosaic of Mermaid Dune sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01154: Rock and Soil Types at Pathfinder Landing Site

Type areas of rocks and soils. (A) Dark rock type and bright soil type: Shown is the dark rock Barnacle Bill. Reflectance spectra typical of fresh basalt and APXS spectra indicating more silica-rich basaltic andesite compositions characterize this type. These rocks are typically the small boulders and intermediate-sized cobbles at the Pathfinder site. The bright soil type is very common and in this case comprises Barnacle Bill's wind tail and much of the surround soil area. This soil has a high reflectance and a strongly reddened spectrum indicative of oxidized ferric minerals. (B) Bright rock type: Shown is the bright rock Wedge. Reflectance spectra typical of weathered basalt and APXS spectra indicating basaltic compositions characterize this type. These rocks are typically larger than 1 meter in diameter and many display morphologies indicating flood deposition. (C) Pink rock type: Shown is the pink rock Scooby Doo. APXS and reflectance spectra indicate a composition and optical characteristics similar to the drift soil. However, the morphology of the pink rock type indicates a cemented or rocklike structure. This material may be a chemically cemented hardpan that underlies much of the Pathfinder site. (D) Dark soil type: The dark soil type is typically found on the windward sides of rocks or in rock-free areas like Photometry Flats (shown here) where the bright soil has been striped away by aeolian action or in open areas. Other locations include the Mermaid Dune. (E) Disturbed soil type: The darkening of disturbed soil relative to its parent material, bright soil, as a result of changes in soil texture and compaction caused by movement of the rover and retraction of the lander airbag. (F) Lamb-like soil type: This soil type shows reflectance and spectral characteristics intermediate between the bright and dark soils. Its distinguishing feature is a weak spectral absorption near 900 nanometers not seen in either the bright or dark soils.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA00779: Weathering of rock "Ginger"

One of the more unusual rocks at the site is Ginger, located southeast of the lander. Parts of it have the reddest color of any material in view, whereas its rounded lobes are gray and relatively unweathered. These color differences are brought out in the inset, enhanced at the upper right. In the false color image at the lower right, the shape of the visible-wavelength spectrum (related to the abundance of weathered ferric iron minerals) is indicated by the hue of the rocks. Blue indicates relatively unweathered rocks. Typical soils and drift, which are heavily weathered, are shown in green and flesh tones. The very red color in the creases in the rock surface correspond to a crust of ferric minerals. The origin of the rock is uncertain; the ferric crust may have grown underneath the rock, or it may cement pebbles together into a conglomerate. Ginger will be a target of future super-resolution studies to better constrain its origin.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA00779: Weathering of rock "Ginger" sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01139: Sojourner Rover View of Platy Fragments near Pop-Tart

Sojourner's excavations brought materials to the surface for examination and allowed estimates of the mechanical properties of the deposits.

This image is of a 7 cm wide excavation through the veneer of a drift. The platy fragment or piece of crust (upper right) was displaced by the rover wheel.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA01558: Sojourner Rover Near Half Dome - Left Eye

This image and PIA01559(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00621: Color mosaic of rover & terrain

The Sojourner rover and undeployed ramps onboard the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft can be seen in this image, by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on July 4 (Sol 1). This image has been corrected for the curvature created by parallax. The microrover Sojourner is latched to the petal, and has not yet been deployed. The ramps are a pair of deployable metal reels which will provide a track for the rover as it slowly rolls off the lander, over the spacecraft's deflated airbags, and onto the surface of Mars. Pathfinder scientists will use this image to determine whether it is safe to deploy the ramps. One or both of the ramps will be unfurled, and then scientists will decide whether the rover will use either the forward or backward ramp for its descent.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00621: Color mosaic of rover & terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00938: Close-up view of "Chimp"

This view of the rock "Chimp" was acquired by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 74 (September 17). A large crack, oriented from lower left to upper right, is visible in the rock. A dark crust appears to cover Chimp in some areas whereas other parts of the rock have a lighter shading. A boundary between the two regions is clearly seen in the upper left part of Chimp.

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PIA00626: Flat Top

A close-up of the rectangular rock called Flat Top

Voir l'image PIA00626: Flat Top sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00654: ASI/MET shadow & airbags

A shadow of the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) has been cast on a rock at right in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. The instrument appears in two different sections due to image parallax. The ASI/MET is an engineering subsytem that acquired atmospheric data during Pathfinder's descent, and will continue to get more data through the entire landed mission. Portions of a lander petal and deflated airbag are visible, in addition to several rocks of varying sizes in the distance.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00654: ASI/MET shadow & airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00770: Deflated Airbags and Petal in 360-degree panorama

Portions of the lander's deflated airbags and a petal are at the lower area of this view, imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) as part of a 360-degree color panorama, taken over sols 8, 9 and 10. A lander petal and deflated airbag are at the bottom of the image.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00770: Deflated Airbags and Petal in 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01551: Newly Deployed Sojourner Rover

This 8-image mosaic was acquired during the late afternoon (near 5pm LST, note the long shadows) on Sol 2 as part of the predeploy "insurance panorama" and shows the newly deployed rover sitting on the Martian surface. This color image was generated from images acquired at 530,600, and 750 nm. The insurance panorama was designed as "insurance" against camera failure upon deployment. Had the camera failed, the losslessly-compressed, multispectral insurance panorama would have been the main source of image data from the IMP.

However, the camera deployment was successful, leaving the insurance panorama to be downlinked to Earth several weeks later. Ironically enough, the insurance panorama contains some of the best quality image data because of the lossless data compression and relatively dust-free state of the camera and associated lander/rover hardware on Sol 2.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01551: Newly Deployed Sojourner Rover sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00815: Super Resolution Image of Yogi

Yogi is a meter-size rock about 5 meters northwest of the Mars Pathfinder lander and was the second rock visited by the Sojourner Rover's alpha proton X-ray spectrometer (APXS) instrument. This mosaic shows super resolution techniques applied to the second APXS target rock, which was poorly illuminated in the rover's forward camera view taken before the instrument was deployed. Super resolution was applied to help to address questions about the texture of this rock and what it might tell us about its mode of origin.

This mosaic of Yogi was produced by combining four "Super Pan" frames taken with the IMP camera. This composite color mosaic consists of 7 frames from the right eye, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be. This panchromatic frame was then colorized with the red, green, and blue filtered images from the same sequence. The color balance was adjusted to approximate the true color of Mars. Shadows were processed separately from the rest of the rock and combined with the rest of the scene to bring out details in the shadow of Yogi that would be too dark to view at the same time as the sunlit surfaces.

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PIA01580: Sojourner Rover Behind Chimp - Left Eye

This left image of a stereo image pair taken on the afternoon of Sol 74 (September 17) shows the Sojourner rover behind the rock "Chimp." Sojourner is now a record 12.3 m from the lander.

This image and PIA01581(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00628: Pathfinder Ramp Deploy Image

Mars Pathfinder's forward rover ramp can be seen successfully unfurled in this image, taken at the end of Sol 2 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). This ramp was not used for the deployment of the microrover Sojourner, which occurred at the end of Sol 2. Sojourner can be seen still latched to one of the lander's petals, waiting for the command sequence that would execute its descent off of the lander's petal. The imager helped Pathfinder scientists determine whether to deploy the rover using the forward or backward ramps and the nature of the first rover traverse.

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PIA01137: Sojourner Rover Tracks in Compressible Soil

Sojourner's observations in the Ares region on Mars raise and answer questions about the origins of the rocks and other deposits found there. Deposits are not the same everywhere. In compressible soil, a rover wheel produced ruts with steep walls, marginal slumps, and nearly perfect reflective casts of the spacing between the cleats.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA01556: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge - Left Eye

This image and PIA01557(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01556: Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00653: Martian terrain

An area of rocky terrain and varied hues of soil are visible in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. The lighter areas of soil may be partially composed of salts.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00653: Martian terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00793: Pitted Rock Named Ender

This image was taken by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 33. The rock in the foreground, nicknamed "Ender," is pitted and marked by a subtle horizontal texture. The bright material on the top of the rock is probably wind-deposited dust. The Pathfinder Lander is seen in the distance at right. The lander camera is the cylindrical object on top of the deployed mast.

| | PIA00793: Pitted Rock Named Ender PIA01563.jpg =

PIA01563: Sojourner's APXS at Stimpy - Left Eye

This image and PIA00968(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01563: Sojourner's APXS at Stimpy - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01563: Sojourner's APXS at Stimpy - Left Eye PIA00666.jpg =

PIA00666: Rocky terrain & airbags

An area of very rocky terrain at the Ares Vallis landing site, along with the lander's deflated airbags, were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The two dark lines are missing data.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00666: Rocky terrain & airbags sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00903: Rover Camera Mosaic of Lander & Wedge

This mosaic of the Mars Pathfinder lander and Martian terrain was taken by the front camera on the Sojourner rover on Sol 39. The rover, positioned near the rock "Wedge" at left, has imaged the letters "JPL" and the American flag mounted on the side of the lander's electronics box. A large spread of deflated airbags are strewn around the lander's periphery, and the large rock Yogi, studied earlier in the mission by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer instrument, lies behind the airbags in the background. The front rover deployment ramp is at right, while the Imager for Mars Pathfinder mounted on its mast stands high at the top of the lander's electronics box.

| | PIA00903: Rover Camera Mosaic of Lander & Wedge PIA00661.jpg =

PIA00661: Forward ramp & low gain antenna

Mars Pathfinder's forward rover ramp can be seen successfully unfurled in this color image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. This ramp was not used for the deployment of the microrover Sojourner, which occurred at the end of Sol 2. When this image was taken, Sojourner was still latched to one of the lander's petals, waiting for the command sequence that would execute its descent off of the lander's petal. The image helped Pathfinder scientists determine whether to deploy the rover using the forward or backward ramps and the nature of the first rover traverse. The metallic object at the lower part of the image is the lander's low-gain antenna. The square at the end of the ramp is one of the spacecraft's magnetic targets. Dust that accumulates on the magnetic targets will later be examined by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer instrument for chemical analysis. At center, a lander petal is visible.

spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00661: Forward ramp & low gain antenna sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00661: Forward ramp & low gain antenna PIA00904.jpg =

PIA00904: Sojourner at Wedge

This image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) at the end of Sol 44, shows the Sojourner rover heading toward a rock called "Shark." Sojourner's left front wheel is jutting up against the side of Wedge, at left. The stowed Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument can be seen on the rear on the rover.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA00904: Sojourner at Wedge sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00904: Sojourner at Wedge PIA00794.jpg =

PIA00794: Sojourner at Mermaid Dune

This is an image of the rover Sojourner at the feature called Mermaid Dune at the MPF landing site. Mermaid is thought to be a low, transverse dune ridge, with its long (approximately 2 meters) axis transverse to the wind, which is thought to come from the lower left of the image and blow toward the upper right. The rover is facing to the lower left, the "upwind" direction. The rover's middle wheels are at the crestline of the small dune, and the rear wheels are on the lee side of the feature. A soil mechanics experiment was performed to dig into the dune and examine the sediments exposed.

| | PIA00794: Sojourner at Mermaid Dune PIA01564.jpg =

PIA01564: Close-up of Moe - Left Eye

This image and PIA01565(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01564: Close-up of Moe - Left Eye PIA04310.jpg =

PIA04310: First IMP Image

This is the first image from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) that includes a glimpse of the plant surface. This image was taken at 8:42 MLSTsol 1.

Voir l'image PIA04310: First IMP Image sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA04310: First IMP Image PIA00613.jpg =

PIA00613: Martian terrain, unfurled rover ramps & deflated airbags

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) took this image of surrounding terrain in the mid-morning on Mars (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time) earlier today. Part of the small rover, Sojourner, is visible on the left side of the picture. The tan cylinder to the right of the rover is one of two rolled-up ramps by which the rover will descend to the ground. The white, billowy material in the center of the picture is part of the airbag system. Many rocks of different shapes and sizes are visible between the lander and the horizon. Two hills are visible on the horizon. The notch on the left side of the leftmost conical hill is an artifact of the processing of this picture.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00613: Martian terrain, unfurled rover ramps & deflated airbags sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00613: Martian terrain, unfurled rover ramps & deflated airbags PIA00614.jpg =

PIA00614: Airbags and Sojourner Rover

This image from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) camera shows the rear part of the Sojourner rover, the rolled-up rear ramp, and portions of the partially deflated airbags. The Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer instrument is protruding from the rear (right side) of the rover. The airbags behind the rover are presently blocking the ramp from being safely unfurled. The ramps are a pair of deployable metal reels that will provide a track for the rover as it slowly rolls off the lander, and onto the surface of Mars, once Pathfinder scientists determine it is safe to do so.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00614: Airbags and Sojourner Rover sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00971: Sojourner near Chimp

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PIA04317: Rover Does a Wheelie

During a soil mechanics experiment, the rover does a wheelie, lifting its front left wheel into the air.

Voir l'image PIA04317: Rover Does a Wheelie sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA04317: Rover Does a Wheelie PIA00668.jpg =

PIA00668: Rocky terrain & airbags

An area of very rocky terrain at the Ares Vallis landing site, along with the lander's deflated airbags, were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) before its deployment on Sol 2. The metallic object at the bottom is a bracket for the IMP's release mechanism.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00668: Rocky terrain & airbags sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00668: Rocky terrain & airbags PIA00625.jpg =

PIA00625: High-gain antenna & terrain

Areas of rocky Martian terrain are seen in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 2. Portions of a lander petal and deflated airbag are at lower left. The dark disk at center is the high-gain antenna, and the silver cylindrical objects at upper right are part of the antenna's mechanism. An area of relatively smooth terrain is seen at upper right, which may offer clues to how this area was formed, and may be a future target for Sojourner's studies. The black area at lower right and small strip at top center is missing data.

| | PIA00625: High-gain antenna & terrain PIA00622.jpg =

PIA00622: 360 degree panorama of Martian surface

This photomosaic was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) camera on July 4, 1997 between 4:00-4:30 p.m. PDT. The foreground is dominated by the lander, newly renamed the Sagan Memorial Station after the late Dr. Carl Sagan. All three petals have been fully deployed. Upon one of the petals is the Sojourner microrover in its stowed position. The metallic cylinders at either end of Sojourner are the rover deployment ramps. Visible at the rear end (right) of the rover is the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. Located to the right of the center petal is a dark, circular object and a bright, metallic object. Both are components of the high gain antenna. The black post, bull's-eye rings, and small shaded blocks in the far right portion of the image are components of the calibration targets.

Terrain of the Ares Vallis region of Mars is in the background. The sections of soil and the large rocks surrounding the lander will provide the rover with numerous opportunities to employ the APXS. The prominent hills in the background will aid scientists in determining the exact site of the spacecraft.

The dark blocks at the lower and upper left of the panorama represent gaps in the data transmission to Earth.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00622: 360 degree panorama of Martian surface sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00622: 360 degree panorama of Martian surface PIA01555.jpg =

PIA01555: Flat Top's Pitted Surface - Right Eye

This image of the rock "Flat Top" was taken from the right of the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 42. Pits on the edge of the rock and a fluted surface are clearly visible. The rocks in the left background comprise the Rock Garden.

This image and PIA01554(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01555: Flat Top's Pitted Surface - Right Eye PIA00774.jpg =

PIA00774: New perspective of undeployed rover

This image features a different perspective of one of the first pictures taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) lander shortly after its touchdown at 10:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time on July 4. The image has been transformed to a perspective that would match that of an observer standing at the point the image was taken. Sojourner is seen in the foreground in its stowed position on a solar panel of the lander. Both ramps, the rear of which Sojourner would use on July 5 to safely descend to the Martian surface, were still undeployed when this image was taken. The double hills called "Twin Peaks" are clearly visible in the background.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00774: New perspective of undeployed rover sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00774: New perspective of undeployed rover PIA01134.jpg =

PIA01134: Sojourner Rover View of Shark and Half Dome

The rounded knobs (arrows) up to 3 or 4 cm wide on Shark (left; approximately 70 cm wide)) and Half Dome (upper right) and in the foreground could be pebbles in a cemented matrix of clays, silts, and sands; such rocks are called conglomerates. Well-rounded objects like these were not seen at the Viking sites.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine.

| | PIA01134: Sojourner Rover View of Shark and Half Dome PIA01584.jpg =

PIA01584: Dunes, Big Crater and Twin Peaks - Left Eye

This image was taken by the Sojourner rover in the area behind the "Rock Garden" at the Pathfinder landing site and gives a view of the Martian surface not seen from the lander. Of note here are several dune-like ridges in the foreground. These features are less than a meter high but several meters wide. They are thought to be created by surface winds blowing right to left (approximately northeast to southwest). These features are called dunes, because of their asymmetry, although the rover has not examined the sediment within them. Such sediment on Earth would be sand-size grains less than 1 millimeter in diameter.

This image and PIA00965(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01584: Dunes, Big Crater and Twin Peaks - Left Eye PIA00998.jpg =

PIA00998: Sojourner's View of Yogi

This Sojourner image, taken on Sol 70, shows rocks and rover-disturbed soil. Cleats on Sojourner's left front wheel are seen at lower left. The large rock in the distance is "Yogi." Much of Yogi visible in this image cannot be seen from the perspective of the Pathfinder lander.

| | PIA00998: Sojourner's View of Yogi PIA00650.jpg =

PIA00650: Yogi & local soil

Portions of the rock dubbed "Yogi" are at the top of this color image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder on Sol 4. The light areas of soil directly below Yogi may be composed of salts.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00650: Yogi & local soil sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00650: Yogi & local soil PIA01552.jpg =

PIA01552: Pooh Bear and Mermaid Dune - Left Eye

The left of the two forward cameras aboard Sojourner imaged this area of Martian terrain on Sol 26. The large rock dubbed "Pooh Bear" is at far left, and stands between four and five inches high. Mermaid Dune is the smooth area stretching horizontally across the top quarter of the image. The Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument aboard Sojourner will be deployed on Mermaid Dune, and the rover will later use its cleated wheels to dig into it.

This image and PIA01553(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01552: Pooh Bear and Mermaid Dune - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01552: Pooh Bear and Mermaid Dune - Left Eye PIA01133.jpg =

PIA01133: Sojourner Rover View of Well-Rounded Pebbles in Cabbage Patch

Sojourner Rover image of rounded 4-cm-wide pebble (lower center) and excavation of cloddy deposit of Cabbage Patch at lower left. Note the bright wind tails of drift material extending from small rocks and the wheel track from upper right to lower left.

Well-rounded objects, like the one in this image, were not seen at the Viking sites. These are thought to be pebbles liberated from sedimentary rocks composed of cemented silts, sands and rounded fragments; such rocks are called conglomerates.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01133: Sojourner Rover View of Well-Rounded Pebbles in Cabbage Patch sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01133: Sojourner Rover View of Well-Rounded Pebbles in Cabbage Patch PIA00773.jpg =

PIA00773: North Twin Peak in super resolution

This pair of images shows the result of taking a sequence of 25 identical exposures from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) of the northern Twin Peak, with small camera motions, and processing them with the Super-Resolution algorithm developed at NASA's Ames Research Center.

The upper image is a representative input image, scaled up by a factor of five, with the pixel edges smoothed out for a fair comparison. The lower image allows significantly finer detail to be resolved.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

The super-resolution research was conducted by Peter Cheeseman, Bob Kanefsky, Robin Hanson, and John Stutz of NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA. More information on this technology is available on the Ames Super Resolution home page at

http://ic-www.arc.nasa.gov/ic/projects/bayes-group/ group/super-res/

Voir l'image PIA00773: North Twin Peak in super resolution sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01583: Sojourner's Farthest Journey - Right Eye

Noontime on Sol 75 (September 18). The rover's middle right wheel is raised above the surface. Sojourner is over 12 m from the lander, a mission record. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).

This image and PIA01582(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01583: Sojourner's Farthest Journey - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01583: Sojourner's Farthest Journey - Right Eye PIA00816.jpg =

PIA00816: Standard "Raw" View of Mini-Matterhorn

The "Mini Matterhorn" is a 3/4 meter rock immediately east-southeast of the Mars Pathfinder lander. This image, along with PIA00817 and PIA00818, shows how super resolution techniques can be applied to nearfield targets to help to address questions about the texture of the rocks at the landing site and what it might tell us about their modes of origin.

This image shows a "raw," standard-resolution color frame of the rock. PIA00818 and PIA00819 were produced by combining the "Super pan" frames from the IMP camera. The composite color frame consists of 7 frames from the right eye, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be.

| | PIA00816: Standard "Raw" View of Mini-Matterhorn PIA00662.jpg =

PIA00662: 360 degree b/w "Monster Pan"

This 360 degree "monster" panorama was taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. All three petals, the perimeter of the deflated airbags, deployed rover Sojourner, forward and backward ramps and prominent surface features are visible. The IMP stands 1.8 meters over the Martian surface. The curvature and misalignment of several sections are due to image parallax.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00662: 360 degree b/w "Monster Pan" sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00662: 360 degree b/w "Monster Pan" PIA00907.jpg =

PIA00907: Sojourner nearing Wedge

This image of the Sojourner rover was taken near the end of daytime operations on Sol 41. The right front wheel is parked on a small rock, perching the left front wheel above the surface. Behind the rover is the rock "Wedge," which was studied by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer on the night of Sol 37.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00907: Sojourner nearing Wedge sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00907: Sojourner nearing Wedge PIA01567.jpg =

PIA01567: Half Dome Rock - Right Eye

This image of the rock "Half Dome" was taken by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 71 (September 14). Pits, linear textures, and pronounced topography on the rock are clearly visible.

This image and PIA01566(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01567: Half Dome Rock - Right Eye PIA00790.jpg =

PIA00790: Backshell Located

During the Entry, Descent and Landing phase of the mission, the final step is the separation of the lander and it's surrounding airbags from the backshell. The conical backshell above the lander contains three solid rocketmotors each providing about a ton of force for over 2 seconds. They are activated by the computer in the lander. Electrical wires that run up the bridle close relays in the backshell which ignite the three rockets at the same instant.

The brief firing of the solid rocketmotors at an altitude of 80-100 meters is intended to essentially bring the downward movement of the lander to a halt some 12 meters above the surface. The bridle separating the lander and heat shield is then cut in the lander, resulting in the backshell driving up and into the parachute under the residual impulse of the rockets, while the lander, encased in airbags, falls to the surface.

The backshell is to the southeast of the lander, and in front and to the left of "Big Crater."

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00790: Backshell Located sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01560: Sojourner's APXS at Moe - Left Eye

This image and PIA00966(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

| | PIA01560: Sojourner's APXS at Moe - Left Eye PIA00619.jpg =

PIA00619: Rover, airbags, & surrounding rocks

This image of the Martian surface was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) before sunset on July 4 (Sol 1), the spacecraft's first day on Mars. The airbags have been partially retracted, and portions the petal holding the undeployed rover Sojourner can be seen at lower left. The rock in the center of the image may be a future target for chemical analysis. The soil in the foreground has been disturbed by the movement of the airbags as they retracted.

| | PIA00619: Rover, airbags, & surrounding rocks PIA00665.jpg =

PIA00665: End of Sol 5 rover image

Sojourner is seen here using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument in a study of the Martian soil. The upper image is of rocky terrain and a portion of Sojourner's antenna, seen at lower right. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP), standing 1.8 meters above the Martian surface.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00665: End of Sol 5 rover image sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00665: End of Sol 5 rover image PIA07453.jpg =

PIA07453: Sunset on Mars from Pathfinder Images

This illustration is a composite that creatively combines two previously released images from Mars Pathfinder for a sunset scene in Ares Valles in July 1997. The combined images are PIA01547 for the sky, and a portion of PIA01466 for the terrain. The sky image is a radiometrically correct, true-color sunset, with the sky near the Sun a pale blue color. The terrain image has been artistically adjusted to match the approximate time of day of the sky image (4:10 p.m. local solar time at the landing site) and to provide a seamless horizon. The two source images are composites of several frames from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder camera. Additional information is available in the captions for the original images.

Voir l'image PIA07453: Sunset on Mars from Pathfinder Images sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA07453: Sunset on Mars from Pathfinder Images PIA00617.jpg =

PIA00617: Airbag retraction

This image shows that the Mars Pathfinder airbags have been successfully retracted, allowing safe deployment of the rover ramps. The Sojourner rover, still in its deployed position, is at center image, and rocks are visible in the background. Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on the surface of Mars today at 10:07 a.m. PDT.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00617: Airbag retraction sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00617: Airbag retraction PIA04314.jpg =

PIA04314: Six Wheels On The Soil

These stills are from the first rover movie which showed the rover being deployed and touching down on the Martian surface.

Voir l'image PIA04314: Six Wheels On The Soil sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA04314: Six Wheels On The Soil PIA00909.jpg =

PIA00909: Flat Top's Pitted Surface

This image of the rock "Flat Top" was taken from one of the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 42. Pits on the edge of the rock and a fluted surface are clearly visible. The rocks in the left background comprise the Rock Garden.

| | PIA00909: Flat Top's Pitted Surface PIA01569.jpg =

PIA01569: Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock Garden - Right Eye

This is the right image of a stereo image pair taken on the afternoon of Sol 71 (September 14) shows Sojourner leaving the "Rock Garden," an assemblage of large rocks behind and to the right of the rover. Sojourner's last target was the rock "Stimpy," seen at the far right.

This image and PIA01568(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01569: Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock Garden - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA01569: Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock Garden - Right Eye PIA00610.jpg =

PIA00610: Martian terrain near Pathfinder

Large boulders are visible in this enlargement of pictures taken by the Mars Pathfinder lander camera on July 4, 1997. The landing site is in the dry flood channel named Ares Valles. The boulders probably represent deposits from one of the catastrophic floods that carved the ancient channel. Between the rocks is brownish windblown soil. The gray-tan sky results from dust particles in the atmosphere.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00610: Martian terrain near Pathfinder sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00918: Pre-Dawn Martian Sky

On Sol 39 there were wispy blue clouds in the pre-dawn sky of Mars, as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The color image was made by taking blue, green, and red images and then combining them into a single color image. The clouds appear to have a bluish side and a greenish side because they moved (in the wind from the northeast) between images. This picture was made an hour and twenty minutes before sunrise -- the sun is not shining directly on the water ice clouds, but they are illuminated by the dawn twilight.

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PIA00964: New View of Twin Peaks Region

This image taken on Sol 74 ( September 17) from the Sojourner rover's right front camera shows areas of the Pathfinder landing site never before seen. The shadow of the rover and its antenna is visible in the foreground. On the horizon at right are the Twin Peaks, about 1 kilometer away.

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PIA01578: Close-up View of Chimp - Left Eye

This view of the rock "Chimp" was acquired by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 74 (September 17). A large crack, oriented from lower left to upper right, is visible in the rock. A dark crust appears to cover Chimp in some areas whereas other parts of the rock have a lighter shading. A boundary between the two regions is clearly seen in the upper left part of Chimp.

This image and PIA01579(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00788: Lander and Mini Matterhorn rock

One of the two forward cameras aboard the Sojourner rover took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 26. The angular resolution of the camera is about three milliradians (.018 degrees) per pixel, which is why the image appears grainy. The field of view of each rover camera is about 127 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically.

Features seen on the lander include (from left to right): the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast with windsocks; the low-gain antenna mast, the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on its mast at center; the disc-shaped high-gain antenna at right, and areas of deflated airbags. The dark circle on the lander body is a filtered vent that allowed air to escape during launch, and allowed the lander to repressurize upon landing. The high-gain antenna is pointed at Earth. The large rock Yogi, which Sojourner has approached and studied, as at the far right of the image. Mini Matterhorn is the large rock situated in front of the lander at left.

The horizontal line at the center of the image is due to differences in light-metering for different portions of the image. The shadow of Sojourner and its antenna are visible at the lower section of the image. The antenna's shadow falls across a light-colored rock.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00788: Lander and Mini Matterhorn rock sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00963: Wind Tails Near Chimp

This image of the rock "Chimp" was taken by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Wind tails, oriented from lower right to upper left, are seen next to small pebbles in the foreground. These were most likely produced by wind action.

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PIA00608: Rover, airbags & Martian terrain

This picture from Mars Pathfinder was taken at 9:30 AM in the martian morning (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time), after the spacecraft landed earlier today (July 4, 1997). The Sojourner rover is perched on one of three solar panels. The rover is 65 cm (26 inches) long by 18 cm (7 inches) tall; each of its wheels is about 13 cm (5 inches) high. The white material to the left of the front of the rover is part of the airbag system used to cushion the landing.

Many rocks of different of different sizes can be seen, set in a background of reddish soil. The landing site is in the mouth of an ancient channel carved by water. The rocks may be primarily flood debris. The horizon is seen towards the top of the picture. The light brown hue of the sky results from suspended dust.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00608: Rover, airbags & Martian terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01571: Pits and Flutes on Stimpy - Right Eye

The rock "Stimpy" is seen in this close-up image taken by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 70 (September 13). Detailed texture on the rock, such as pits and flutes, are clearly visible.

This image and PIA01570(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00916: Wispy Blue Clouds Over Mars

These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The bright clouds near the bottom are about 10 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are believed to be at an altitude of 10 to 15 km, and are thought to be made of small water ice particles. The picture was taken about 40 minutes before sunrise.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00916: Wispy Blue Clouds Over Mars sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00673: A rover's-eye view of the lander

One of Sojourner's two front cameras took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 6. The lander and its deployed rear ramp are at upper left, while several large rocks appear at center. Sojourner was near the large rock Yogi when this image was taken.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00673: A rover's-eye view of the lander sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00673: A rover's-eye view of the lander PIA01576.jpg =

PIA01576: North View from Sojourner - Left Eye

This left image of a stereo image pair, taken on Sol 72 (September 15) from the Sojourner rover's front cameras, shows areas of the Pathfinder landing site never before seen. The large rock on the right is "Chimp."

This image and PIA01577(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00786: Looking westward at the lander

One of the two forward cameras aboard the Sojourner rover took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 25. The camera uses a fisheye lens which produces the illumination gradient in the sky on the western horizon. The angular resolution of the camera is about three milliradians (.018 degrees) per pixel, which is why the image appears grainy.

Features seen on the lander include (from left to right): the Atmospheric Structure Instrument / Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast with windsocks; the low-gain antenna mast, the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on its mast at center; the disc-shaped high-gain antenna at right, and areas of deflated airbags. The dark circle on the lander body is a filtered vent that allowed air to escape during launch, and allowed the lander to repressurize upon landing. The high-gain antenna is pointed at Earth. The large rock Yogi, which Sojourner has approached and studied, is at the far right of the image.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00786: Looking westward at the lander sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01006: ASI/MET Mast

The Mars Pathfinder meteorology mast casts a shadow on the lander solar array, as seen in this superpan mosaic. Looking to the southeast during the morning, the windsocks are slightly tilted, indicating the presence of a light wind from the southwest. The MET mast measured the temperature, pressure, and wind speed at the Pathfinder landing site. During the mission, the instrument returned 8.5 million individual measurements from the surface of Mars.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01006: ASI/MET Mast sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00646: Sojourner's APXS at work

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. The rover Sojourner has traveled to an area of soil and several rocks. Its tracks are clearly visible in the soft soil seen in the foreground, and were made in part by the rover's material abrasion experiment. Scientists were able to control the force of the rover's cleated wheels to help determine the physical properties of the soil. In this image, Sojourner is using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study an area of soil. Sunlight is striking the area from the left, creating shadows under Sojourner and at the right of local rocks. The large rock Yogi can be seen at upper right.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00646: Sojourner's APXS at work sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00697: Deflated Airbags and Yogi

The left portion of this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3, shows the large rock nicknamed "Yogi." Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. Yogi has been an object of study for rover Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. The APXS will help Pathfinder scientists learn more about the chemical composition of that rock.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00697: Deflated Airbags and Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00923: Rover Soil Experiments Near Casper & Shaggy

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) caught this image of the rover as it was digging in the "compressible" material near the rock Casper to determine the soil's mechanical properties on Sol 23. Shaggy is the large rock behind the Rover.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00923: Rover Soil Experiments Near Casper & Shaggy sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01122: Sojourner Rover Near The Dice

Lander image of rover near The Dice (three small rocks behind the rover) and Yogi on sol 22. Color (red, green, and blue filters at 6:1 compression) image shows dark rocks, bright red dust, dark red soil exposed in rover tracks, and dark (black) soil. The APXS is in view at the rear of the vehicle, and the forward stereo cameras and laser light stripers are in shadow just below the front edge of the solar panel.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

Voir l'image PIA01122: Sojourner Rover Near The Dice sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00989: Sockets and Pebbles

This close-up Sojourner rover image of a small rock shows that weathering has etched-out pebbles to produce sockets. In the image, sunlight is coming from the upper left. Sockets (with shadows on top) are visible at the lower left and pebbles (with bright tops and shadowed bases) are seen at the lower center and lower right. Two pebbles (about 0.5 cm across) are visible at the lower center.

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PIA00765: Twin Peaks in 360-degree panorama

The prominent hills dubbed "Twin Peaks" approximately 1-2 kilometers away were imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) as part of a 360-degree color panorama, taken over sols 8, 9 and 10. A lander petal and deflated airbag are at the bottom of the image.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00765: Twin Peaks in 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01001: Twin Peaks (B/W)

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01001: Twin Peaks (B/W) sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00924: Rover Soil Experiments Near Yogi

Sojourner, while on its way to the rock Yogi, performed several soil mechanics experiments. Piles of loose material churned up from the experiment are seen in front of and behind the Rover. The rock Pop-Tart is visible near the front right rover wheel. Yogi is at upper right. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00924: Rover Soil Experiments Near Yogi sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00987: Rock Garden

This false color composite image of the Rock Garden shows the rocks "Shark" and "Half Dome" at upper left and middle, respectively. Between these two large rocks is a smaller rock (about 0.20 m wide, 0.10 m high, and 6.33 m from the Lander) that was observed close-up with the Sojourner rover (see PIA00989).

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PIA00633: Rover tracks

Tracks made by the Sojourner rover are visible in this image, taken by one of the cameras aboard Sojourner on Sol 3. The tracks represent the rover maneuvering towards the rock dubbed "Barnacle Bill." The rover, having exited the lander via the rear ramp, first traveled towards the right portion of the image, and then moved forward towards the left where Barnacle Bill sits. The fact that the rover was making defined tracks indicates that the soil is made up of particles on a micron scale.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Voir l'image PIA00633: Rover tracks sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00648: Wedge and Flat Top

Flat Top, the rectangular rock at right, is part of a stretch of rocky terrain in this image, taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. Dust has accumulated on the top of Flat Top, but is not present on the sides due to the steep angles of the rock. This dust may have been placed by dust storms moving across the Martian surface. The rock dubbed "Wedge" is at left. The objects have been studied using several different color filters on the IMP camera.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00648: Wedge and Flat Top sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01008: Big Crater as Viewed by Pathfinder Lander

The "Big Crater" is actually a relatively small Martian crater to the southeast of the Mars Pathfinder landing site. It is 1500 meters (4900 feet) in diameter, or about the same size as Meteor Crater in Arizona. Superimposed on the rim of Big Crater (the central part of the rim as seen here) is a smaller crater nicknamed "Rimshot Crater." The distance to this smaller crater, and the nearest portion of the rim of Big Crater, is 2200 meters (7200 feet). To the right of Big Crater, south from the spacecraft, almost lost in the atmospheric dust "haze," is the large streamlined mountain nicknamed "Far Knob." This mountain is over 450 meters (1480 feet) tall, and is over 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the spacecraft. Another, smaller and closer knob, nicknamed "Southeast Knob" can be seen as a triangular peak to the left of the flanks of the Big Crater rim. This knob is 21 kilometers (13 miles) southeast from the spacecraft.

The larger features visible in this scene - Big Crater, Far Knob, and Southeast Knob - were discovered on the first panoramas taken by the IMP camera on the 4th of July, 1997, and subsequently identified in Viking Orbiter images taken over 20 years ago. The scene includes rocky ridges and swales or "hummocks" of flood debris that range from a few tens of meters away from the lander to the distance of South Twin Peak. The largest rock in the nearfield, just left of center in the foreground, nicknamed "Otter," is about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) long and 10 meters (33 feet) from the spacecraft.

This view of Big Crater was produced by combining 6 individual "Superpan" scenes from the left and right eyes of the IMP camera. Each frame consists of 8 individual frames (left eye) and 7 frames (right eye) taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01008: Big Crater as Viewed by Pathfinder Lander sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01150: Overhead View of Pathfinder Landing Site

Planimetric (overhead view) map of the landing site, to a distance of 20 meters from the spacecraft. North is at the top in this and Plates 3-5. To produce this map, images were geometrically projected onto an assumed mean surface representing the ground. Features above the ground plane (primarily rocks) therefore appear displaced radially outward; the amount of distortion increases systematically with distance. The upper surfaces of the lander and rover also appear enlarged and displaced because of their height. Primary grid (white) is based on the Landing Site Cartographic (LSC) coordinate system, defined with X eastward, Y north, and Z up, and origin located at the mean ground surface immediately beneath the deployed position of the IMP camera gimbal center. Secondary ticks (cyan) are based on the Mars local level (LL) frame, which has X north, Y east, Z down, with origin in the center of the lander baseplate. Rover positions (including APXS measurements) are commonly reported in the LL frame. Yellow grid shows polar coordinates based on the LSC system. Cartographic image processing by U.S. Geological Survey.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA00980: Closeup of Mermaid Dune

This pair of images shows a broad view (upper image) and detailed close-up view (lower image) of the disturbed surface near and on Mermaid Dune. Seen slightly right of center in the upper image are two diggings by the rover's wheel. The uppermost rut is in the surface away from Mermaid and is considered to be typical of the surface at the landing site. The closer rut represents the surface at the base of Mermaid on the upwind side. The lower image is an enlargement of the disturbed Mermaid sediments plus those of the underlying substrate; that is, the ground upon which the dune lies. Seen in the close-up are at least two types of sediment, one that seems to be approximately 1.4 cm thick and forms piles with sides sloping at approximately 35 degrees, and another at least 3 cm deep composed of sediment that has a characteristic slope of 41 degrees when piled. It is apparent in the images that there is a size range of sediment present in the rut, sediment that ranges from a few millimeters in size down to below the resolution of the camera.

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PIA00634: Sojourner's APXS studies Barnacle Bill

Sojourner's first analysis of a rock on Mars began on Sol 3 with the study of Barnacle Bill, a nearby rock named for its rough surface. The Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will be used to determine the elements that make up the rocks and soil on Mars. A full study using the APXS takes approximately ten hours, and can measure all elements except hydrogen at any time of the Martian day or night. The APXS will conduct its studies by bombarding rocks and soil samples with alpha particle radiation -- charged particles equivalent to the nucleus of a helium atom, consisting of two protons and two neutrons.

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00634: Sojourner's APXS studies Barnacle Bill sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00908: Sojourner near the Rock Garden

This image of the Sojourner rover was taken near the end of daytime operations on Sol 42. The rover is between the rocks "Wedge" (left) and "Flute Top" (right). Other rocks visible include "Flat Top" (behind Flute Top) and those in the Rock Garden, at the top of the frame. The cylindrical object extending from the back end of Sojourner is the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00908: Sojourner near the Rock Garden sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01568: Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock Garden - Left Eye

This is the left image of a stereo image pair taken on the afternoon of Sol 71 (September 14) shows Sojourner leaving the "Rock Garden," an assemblage of large rocks behind and to the right of the rover. Sojourner's last target was the rock "Stimpy," seen at the far right.

This image and PIA01569(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01568: Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock Garden - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00611: Pathfinder's rover, airbags, & Martian terrain

This is one of the first pictures taken by the camera on the Mars Pathfinder lander shortly after its touchdown at 10:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time on July 4, 1997. The small rover, named Sojourner, is seen in the foreground in its position on a solar panel of the lander. The white material on either side of the rover is part of the deflated airbag system used to absorb the shock of the landing. Between the rover and the horizon is the rock-strewn martian surface. Two hills are seen in the right distance, profiled against the light brown sky.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00611: Pathfinder's rover, airbags, & Martian terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00616: Lander, Airbags, & Martian terrain

Several objects have been imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) during the spacecraft's first day on Mars. Portions of the deflated airbags, part of one the lander's petals, soil, and several rocks are visible. The furrows in the soil were artificially produced by the retraction of the airbags after landing, which occurred at 10:07 a.m. PDT.

The IMP is a stereo imaging system with color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye.

Voir l'image PIA00616: Lander, Airbags, & Martian terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01437: Pathfinder Landing Site Observed by Mars Orbiter Camera

On its 256th orbit of Mars, the camera on-board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft successfully observed the vicinity of the Pathfinder landing site. The images shown above include a Viking image at roughly 30 m (100 feet) scale, and a portion of the MOC image reproduced at a scale of 6.6 m (21.5 feet) per pixel.

The resolution of the MOC image that covered the Pathfinder landing site (MOC 25603) was about 3.3 m or 11 feet per pixel. The Pathfinder lander and airbags form a roughly equilateral triangle 5 m on a side. Noting that the camera has not yet been focussed (it needs to be in the stable temperature conditions of the low altitude, circular mapping orbit in order to achieve best focus) and the hazy atmospheric conditions, the effective scale of the image is probably closer to 5 m (16.4 feet). Thus, the scale of the image was insufficient to resolve the lander (more than one pixel is needed to resolve a feature). In addition, the relatively high sun angle of the image (the sun was 40° above the horizon) reduced the length of shadows (for example, only a few boulders are seen), also decreasing the ability to discriminate small features. Work continues to locate intermediate-scale features in the lander and orbiter images in the hope of identifying the precise landing site based on these comparisons.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.

Voir l'image PIA01437: Pathfinder Landing Site Observed by Mars Orbiter Camera sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA04315: The Second Rover Image

This image of the Mars Pathfinder Lander on the surface of Mars was imaged by Sojourner as it looks back. Sojourners tracks are visible in the foreground.

Voir l'image PIA04315: The Second Rover Image sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00791: Dust Wind Tails Around Rocks

This image was taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 32. The Pathfinder lander is at right and is about 9 meters away. Wind tails of dust are clearly seen extending from the left side of many of the small rocks in the foreground. The large rocks on the horizon at left center are the next goal of Sojourner as it continues our exploration of Mars.

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PIA01561: Sojourner Rover Backing Away From Moe - Left Eye

This image and PIA01562(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA01561: Sojourner Rover Backing Away From Moe - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00618: Airbag retraction

This image shows that the Mars Pathfinder airbags have been successfully retracted, allowing safe deployment of the rover ramps. The Sojourner rover is at lower right, and rocks are visible in the background. Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on the surface of Mars today at 10:07 a.m. PDT.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00618: Airbag retraction sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00664: Sojourner's success image

Taken from Sojourner's forward camera, this image features a rover's-eye view of the Sagan Memorial Station. Areas of billowing airbags can be seen surrounding the lander, and the rear deployment ramp is seen at center. The rock Barnacle Bill is just to the right of the ramp, and Sojourner's tracks are shown leading away from the spacecraft. The lander's high-gain antenna is at the left of the lander's main electronics array, appearing as a small grey disc.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00664: Sojourner's success image sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00901: Mosaic of Wedge, Shark, Half-Dome, Moe and Flat Top

The front cameras aboard the rover Sojourner imaged several prominent rocks on Sol 44. The highly-textured rock at left is Wedge, and in the background from left to right are Shark, Half-Dome, and Moe. The rectangular rock at right is Flat Top, which earlier close-up images revealed to be made up of elongated pits, possibly made by vesicles from volcanic outgassing or etches caused by weathering.

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PIA00663: Yogi and rover tracks

Taken from Sojourner's front stereo camera, this image features the large rock Yogi and hole dug by the front wheel of the rover into the Martian soil. The rover is maneuvering into a position better suited to image Yogi's intriguing features.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00663: Yogi and rover tracks sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00906: Sojourner's APXS & Wedge

This image of the rock "Wedge" was taken from the Sojourner rover's rear color camera on Sol 37. The position of the rover relative to Wedge is seen in MRPS 83349. The segmented rod visible in the middle of the frame is the deployment arm for the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS). The APXS, the bright, cylindrical object at the end of the arm, is positioned against Wedge and is designed to measure the rock's chemical composition. This was done successfully on the night of Sol 37.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00906: Sojourner's APXS & Wedge sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00796: Clouds over Mars!

This is the first color image ever taken from the surface of Mars of an overcast sky. Featured are pink stratus clouds coming from the northeast at about 15 miles per hour (6.7 meters/second) at an approximate height of ten miles (16 kilometers) above the surface. The clouds consist of water ice condensed on reddish dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds on Mars are sometimes localized and can sometimes cover entire regions, but have not yet been observed to cover the entire planet. The image was taken about an hour and forty minutes before sunrise by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 at about ten degrees up from the eastern Martian horizon.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00796: Clouds over Mars! sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01566: Half Dome Rock - Left Eye

This image of the rock "Half Dome" was taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 71 (September 14). Pits, linear textures, and pronounced topography on the rock are clearly visible.

This image and PIA01567(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00656: Portion of 360-degree color panorama

This image represents the first two tiers of a 360- degree color panorama, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The metallic object at far lower left is a portion of the lander's low-gain antenna. At left, the forward ramp is visible near the larger rocks dubbed Wedge, Flat Top, and Half-Dome. The magenta and yellow strips near the center represent portions of missing data. Rover Sojourner is situated on the soil after its successful deployment on Sol 5. To its immediate left is the rock dubbed "Barnacle Bill," and in front of it lies the larger rock dubbed "Yogi." Two additional areas of deflated airbags are at the right-center and right of the panorama. The mast and windsocks at far right is the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET). Their upward position indicates little air movement. A shadow of the ASI/MET has been cast upon a rock just in front of it, indicating sunlight is coming from the rear right.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00656: Portion of 360-degree color panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01553: Pooh Bear and Mermaid Dune - Right Eye

The right of the two forward cameras aboard Sojourner imaged this area of Martian terrain on Sol 26. The large rock dubbed "Pooh Bear" is at far left, and stands between four and five inches high. Mermaid Dune is the smooth area stretching horizontally across the top quarter of the image. The Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument aboard Sojourner will be deployed on Mermaid Dune, and the rover will later use its cleated wheels to dig into it.

This image and PIA01552(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01553: Pooh Bear and Mermaid Dune - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01132: Pathfinder Rover Atop Mermaid Dune

Mars Pathfinder Lander camera image of Sojourner Rover atop the Mermaid "dune" on Sol 30. Note the dark material excavated by the rover wheels. These, and other excavations brought materials to the surface for examination and allowed estimates of mechanical properties of the deposits.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA00772: "Big Crater" in 360-degree panorama

The crater dubbed "Big Crater," approximately 2200 meters (7200 feet) away was imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) as part of a 360-degree color panorama, taken over sols 8, 9 and 10. "Big Crater" is actually a relatively small Martian crater to the southeast of the Mars Pathfinder landing site. It is 1500 meters (4900 feet) in diameter, or about the same size as Meteor Crater in Arizona.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00772: "Big Crater" in 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01582: Sojourner's Farthest Journey - Left Eye

This image and PIA01583(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01582: Sojourner's Farthest Journey - Left Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00817: Super Resolution View of Mini-Matterhorn

The "Mini Matterhorn" is a 3/4 meter rock immediately east-southeast of the Mars Pathfinder lander. This image, along with PIA00816 and PIA00818, shows how super resolution techniques can be applied to nearfield targets to help to address questions about the texture of the rocks at the landing site and what it might tell us about their modes of origin. PIA00816 shows a "raw," standard-resolution color frame of the rock. This image and PIA00818 were produced by combining the "Super pan" frames from the IMP camera. The composite color frame consists of 7 frames from the right eye, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be. This panchromatic frame was then colorized with the red, green, and blue filtered images from the same sequence. The color balance was adjusted to approximate the true color of Mars.

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PIA01554: Flat Top's Pitted Surface - Left Eye

This image of the rock "Flat Top" was taken from the left of the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 42. Pits on the edge of the rock and a fluted surface are clearly visible. The rocks in the left background comprise the Rock Garden.

This image and PIA01555(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00775: Airbag bounce marks

Looking east from the lander, the last few bounce marks as Pathfinder rolled to a stop on July 4 are visible in the soil in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The two most distant marks, identified by pointers in the image, consist of dark patches of disturbed soil. The three closest marks are clearly visible in the foreground, with one easily identifiable behind the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast, is at right. The most distant positively identified bounce mark, indicated by the pointer at right, is approximately 11.3 meters (37 feet) from the lander.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Voir l'image PIA00775: Airbag bounce marks sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01135: Sojourner Rover View of Sockets and Pebbles

Well-rounded objects, like the ones in this image, were not seen at the Viking sites. These are thought to be pebbles liberated from sedimentary rocks composed of cemented silts, sands and rounded fragments; such rocks are called conglomerates. The "sockets" could be the former sites of such pebbles.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

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PIA01585: Sojourner's APXS at Chimp - Right Eye

This image and PIA00970(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01585: Sojourner's APXS at Chimp - Right Eye sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00651: Deflated airbags & terrain

An area of Pathfinder's deflated airbags is visible in the lower portion of this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 4. Misregistration at the right side of the image is due to parallax.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00651: Deflated airbags & terrain sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00623: Rover touchdown on Martian surface

This picture taken by the IMP (Imager for Mars Pathfinder) aboard the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft depicts the rover Sojourner's position after driving onto the Martian surface. Sojourner has become the first autonomous robot ever to traverse the surface of Mars. This image reflects the success of Pathfinder's principle objective -- to place a payload on Mars in a safe, operational configuration.

The primary mission of Sojourner, scheduled to last seven days, will be to use its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to determine the elements that make up the rocks and soil on Mars. A full study using the APXS takes approximately ten hours, and can measure all elements except hydrogen at any time of the Martian day or night. The APXS will conduct its studies by bombarding rocks and soil samples with alpha particle radiation -- charged particles equivalent to the nucleus of a helium atom, consisting of two protons and two neutrons.

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PIA00990: Wind Drifts at Viking 1 Landing Site

This image is of so-called wind drifts seen at the Viking 1 landing site. These are somewhat different from the features seen at the Pathfinder site in two important ways. 1) These landforms have no apparent slip-or avalanche-face as do both terrestrial dunes and the Pathfinder features, and may represent deposits of sediment falling from the air, as opposed to dune sand, which "hops" or saltates along the ground; 2) these features may indicate erosion on one side, because of the layering and apparent scouring on their right sides. They may, therefore have been deposited by a wind moving left to right, partly or weakly cemented or solidified by surface processes at some later time, then eroded by a second wind (right to left), exposing their internal structure.

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PIA00649: Sojourner near Barnacle Bill - color

Sojourner is visible in this color image, one of the first taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. The rover has moved from this position into one that later facilitated its using the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on Barnacle Bill. The APXS, located at the rear of the rover, is not visible in this image.

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00649: Sojourner near Barnacle Bill - color sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00981: Jenkins Dune

This image is of a landform informally called Jenkins Dune and is thought to be a small barchan dune. This feature is less than 1 foot (0.3 m) tall and perhaps 2-3 meters wide. Inferred wind direction is from the left to the right. Near the crest of the feature is a demarcation that may represent the exposure of a crust on the sediments; similar features were seen on sediments on the rock Big Joe at the Viking landing site.

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PIA00635: Sojourner's view of the lander

This is one of the first images taken by one of the three Sojourner rover cameras on Sol 3. At right, portions of the lander's deflated airbags and circular high-gain antenna are visible. The Martian horizon is at the background. Sojourner is equipped with three cameras -- a forward stereo system and rear color imaging system. These imaging systems will be used over the course of the rover's mission to get close-up views of rocks and soil.

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PIA00986: Shark

This false color composite image from the Pathfinder lander shows the rock "Shark" at upper right (Shark is about 0.69 m wide, 0.40 m high, and 6.4 m from the lander). The rock looks like a conglomerate in Sojourner rover images, but only the large elements of its surface textures can be seen here. This demonstrates the usefulness of having a robot rover geologist able to examine rocks up close.

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PIA00632: Sojourner & terrain

The undeployed Sojourner rover is seen still latched to a lander petal in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 1, the lander's first day on Mars. Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. The rectangular rock at center has been dubbed "Flat Top," and may be a possible object of study for Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. The two hills in the distance, approximately one to two kilometers away, have been dubbed the "Twin Peaks" and are of great interest to Pathfinder scientists as objects of future study.

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PIA00988: Pebbles, Cobbles, and Sockets

This Rover image of "Shark" (upper left center), "Half Dome" (upper right), and a small rock (right foreground) reveal textures and structures not visible in lander camera images. These rocks are interpreted as conglomerates because their surfaces have rounded protrusions up to several centimeters in size. It is suggested that the protrusions are pebbles and granules.

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PIA00764: Flat Top

Taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP), this image shows the rock dubbed "Flat Top" at center. Dust has accumulated on the top of Flat Top, but is not present on the sides due to the steep angles of the rock. This dust may have been placed by dust storms moving across the Martian surface. Areas of darker and brighter reddish soil are distributed between rocks.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00764: Flat Top sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01124: Mars Pathfinder Landing Site

Mosaic of Viking orbiter images illustrating the location of the lander (19.17 degrees N, 33.21 degrees W in the USGS reference frame) with respect to surface features. Five prominent features on the horizon include North Knob, Southeast Knob, Far Knob, Twin Peaks, and Big Crater. Two small craters visible in the orbiter and lander views--Little Crater and Rimshot Crater--lie on the northwest outer flank of the rim of Big Crater. Because the lander is on the southeast-facing flank of a low ridge, very distant features to the south and east are in view, whereas relatively nearby features to the north are partially or completely obscured. Only the tip of North Knob, which appears larger in the Viking orbiter images than the Twin Peaks, projects above the local horizon, and a 300-m crater, 1.2 km to the northeast, is completely obscured. Viking stereo images 004A27 and 004A87 and 004A44 and 004A70. North is up; scale bar, 5 km. (Insets) (Upper right) Lander location. (Upper left) North Knob from lander. (Lower left) Far Knob from lander. (Lower right) Southeast Knob from lander. The location of the lander in inertial space (19.30 degrees N, 33.52degrees W) from the two-way ranging and Doppler tracking of the lander is coincident with Rimshot Crater.

NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine

Voir l'image PIA01124: Mars Pathfinder Landing Site sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00640: Terrain and rock "Couch"

This new view of the rock dubbed "Couch" was taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. Earlier images, taken by the undeployed IMP, hinted that Couch was balanced upon the rectangular rock approximately three-quarters of the way up from the bottom of the image. The deployed IMP, standing 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, has now revealed Couch to be a free-standing object positioned at the Martian horizon.

The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00640: Terrain and rock "Couch" sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01000: Northeast View From Pathfinder Lander

This panorama of the region to the northeast of the lander was constructed to support the Sojourner Rover Team's plans to conduct an "autonomous traverse" to explore the terrain away from the lander after science objectives in the lander vicinity had been met. The large, relatively bright surface in the foreground, about 10 meters (33 feet) from the spacecraft, in this scene is "Baker's Bench." The large, elongated rock left of center in the middle distance is "Zaphod."

This view was produced by combining 8 individual "Superpan" scenes from the left and right eyes of the IMP camera. Each frame consists of 8 individual frames (left eye) and 7 frames (right eye) taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01000: Northeast View From Pathfinder Lander sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00925: Poohbear Rock

This image, taken by Sojourner's front right camera, was taken when the rover was next to Poohbear (rock at left) and Piglet (not seen) as it looked out toward Mermaid Dune. The textures differ from the foreground soil containing a sorted mix of small rocks, fines and clods, from the area a bit ahead of the rover where the surface is covered with a bright drift material. Soil experiments where the rover wheels dug in the soil revealed that the cloudy material exists underneath the drift.

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PIA01466: Improved MPF 360-degree Color Panorama

This is a more recent "geometrically improved, color enhanced" version of the 360-degree "Gallery Pan," the first contiguous, uniform panorama taken by the Imager for Mars (IMP) over the course of Sols 8, 9, and 10. Different regions were imaged at different times over the three Martian days to acquire consistent lighting and shadow conditions for all areas of the panorama. In this version of the panorama, much of the discontinuity that was due to parallax has been corrected, particularly along the lower tiers of the mosaic containing the Lander features. Distortion due to a 2.5 degree tilt in the IMP camera mast has been removed.

The IMP is a stereo imaging system that, in its fully deployed configuration, stands 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, and has a resolution of two millimeters at a range of two meters. The IMP has color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye." Its red, green, and blue filters were used to take this panorama.

The three color images were first digitally balanced according to the transmittance capabilities of a specific high-definition TV device at JPL, and then enhanced via changes to saturation and intensity while retaining the hue. A threshold was applied to avoid changes to the sky. An MTF filter was applied to sharpen feature edges.

At left is a Lander petal and a metallic mast which is a portion of the low-gain antenna. On the horizon the double "Twin Peaks" are visible, about 1-2 kilometers away. The rock "Couch" is the dark, curved rock at right of Twin Peaks. Another Lander petal is at left-center, showing the fully deployed forward ramp at far left, and rear ramp at right, which rover Sojourner used to descend to the surface of Mars on July 5. Immediately to the left of the rear ramp is the rock "Barnacle Bill," which scientists found be andesitic, possibly indicating that it is a volcanic rock (a true andesite) or a physical mixture of particles. Just beyond Barnacle Bill, rover tracks lead to Sojourner, shown using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study the large rock "Yogi." Yogi, low in quartz content, appears to be more primitive than Barnacle Bill, and appears more like the common basalts found on Earth.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA01466: Improved MPF 360-degree Color Panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01007: Big Crater as Viewed by Pathfinder Lander - Anaglyph

The anaglyph view of Big Crater was produced by combining the left and right eye mosaics (above) by assigning the left eye view to the red color plane and the right eye view to the green and blue color planes (cyan), to produce a stereo anaglyph mosaic. This mosaic can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue 3-D glasses.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Click below to see the left and right views individually.

Left
Right

Voir l'image PIA01007: Big Crater as Viewed by Pathfinder Lander - Anaglyph sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00647: Forward ramp deploy

Mars Pathfinder's forward rover ramp can be seen successfully unfurled in this color image, taken at the end of Sol 2 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). This ramp was not used for the deployment of the microrover Sojourner, which occurred at the end of Sol 2. When this image was taken, Sojourner was still latched to one of the lander's petals, waiting for the command sequence that would execute its descent off of the lander's petal. The image helped Pathfinder scientists determine whether to deploy the rover using the forward or backward ramps and the nature of the first rover traverse. The metallic object at lower left is part of the lander's low-gain antenna. The square at the end of the ramp is one of the spacecraft's magnetic targets.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00647: Forward ramp deploy sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00922: Disturbing Pop-Tart

The Sojourner rover's front right camera imaged Pop-tart, a small rock or indurated soil material which was pushed out of the surrounding drift material by Sojourner's front left wheel during a soil mechanics experiment.

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PIA00763: Forward ramp within 360-degree panorama

This portion of the 360-degree gallery panorama shows Pathfinder's forward ramp at center. The metallic object at lower left is a portion of the low-gain antenna. The rocks Wedge, Shark, Flat Top, and Half-Dome are at right. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over sols 8,9 and 10, using the red, green and blue filters.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00763: Forward ramp within 360-degree panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00917: Color Variations in the Sky at Sunset

This image of the martian sunset from Sol 24 shows much more color variation than had previously been seen. The blue color near the Sun is not caused by clouds of water ice, but by the martian dust itself. The dust in the atmosphere absorbs blue light, giving the sky its red color, but it also scatters some of the blue light into the area just around the Sun because of its size. The blue color only becomes apparent near sunrise and sunset, when the light has to pass through the largest amount of dust. This image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00917: Color Variations in the Sky at Sunset sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01577: North View from Sojourner - Right Eye

This right image of a stereo image pair, taken on Sol 72 (September 15) from the Sojourner rover's front cameras, shows areas of the Pathfinder landing site never before seen. The large rock on the right is "Chimp."

This image and PIA01576(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00787: Pooh Bear rock and Mermaid Dune

One of the two forward cameras aboard Sojourner imaged this area of Martian terrain on Sol 26. The large rock dubbed "Pooh Bear" is at far left, and stands between four and five inches high. Mermaid Dune is the smooth area stretching horizontally across the top quarter of the image. The Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument aboard Sojourner will be deployed on Mermaid Dune, and the rover will later use its cleated wheels to dig into it.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00787: Pooh Bear rock and Mermaid Dune sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00609: Large boulders at landing site

Large boulders are visible in this enlargement of pictures taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) lander camera on July 4, 1997. The landing site is in the dry flood channel named Ares Valles. The boulders probably represent deposits from one of the catastrophic floods that carved the ancient channel. Between the rocks is brownish windblown soil. The gray-tan sky results from dust particles in the atmosphere.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00609: Large boulders at landing site sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00751: Area of 360 degree color panorama

This portion of the 360-degree gallery panorama shows Pathfinder's rear ramp, the rock Barnacle Bill at left, and rover tracks leading up to the large rock Yogi. Rover Sojourner is seen using its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument to study Yogi's composition. Rover tracks and circular patterns in the soil are from Sojourner's soil mechanics experiments, in which varying amounts of pressure were applied to the rover's wheels in order to determine physical properties of the soil. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) over sols 8, 9, and 10, using the red, green and blue filters.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00751: Area of 360 degree color panorama sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA01570: Pits and Flutes on Stimpy - Left Eye

The rock "Stimpy" is seen in this close-up image taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 70 (September 13). Detailed texture on the rock, such as pits and flutes, are clearly visible.

This image and PIA01571(right eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00962: Stereo Images of Wind Tails Near Chimp

This stereo image pair of the rock "Chimp" was taken by the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Wind tails, oriented from lower right to upper left, are seen next to small pebbles in the foreground. These were most likely produced by wind action.

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PIA00919: Pre-Dawn Clouds Over Mars

These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. The bright clouds near the bottom are about 30 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are believed to be at an altitude of 10 to 15 km, and are thought to be made of small water ice particles. The picture was taken about 35 minutes before sunrise.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00919: Pre-Dawn Clouds Over Mars sur le site de la NASA.

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PIA00965: Dunes, Big Crater, & Twin Peaks - Right Eye

This is the right image of a stereo pair taken by the Sojourner rover in the area behind the "Rock Garden" at the Pathfinder landing site and gives a view of the Martian surface not seen from the lander. Of note here are several dune-like ridges in the foreground. These features are less than a meter high but several meters wide. They are thought to be created by surface winds blowing right to left (approximately northeast to southwest). These features are called dunes, because of their asymmetry, although the rover has not examined the sediment within them. Such sediment on Earth would be sand-size grains less than 1 millimeter in diameter.

This image and PIA01584(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA01579: Close-up View of Chimp - Right Eye

This image and PIA01578(left eye) make up a stereo pair.

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PIA00789: Wind effects on Martian soil

This false-color combination image highlights details of wind effects on the Martian soil at the Pathfinder landing site. Red and blue filter images have been combined to enhance brightness contrasts among several soil units. Martian winds have distributed these lighter and darker fine materials in complex patterns around the rocks in the scene (blue). For scale, the rock at right center is 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) long. This scene is one of several that will be monitored weekly for changes caused by wind activity.

Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Voir l'image PIA00789: Wind effects on Martian soil sur le site de la NASA.

| | PIA00789: Wind effects on Martian soil