| 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. |
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. |
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. |
