| 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. |
