Other Current Images from Mars
Due to download problems that the public has been experiencing, all
thumbnail images have been removed from this page. Please click on the link
above each caption to download the full-size image. And thanks for your
patience over the past couple of days.
| 80892_full.jpg |
80894_full.jpg |
80895_full.jpg |
| Taken on July 5, this image shows portions of the high gain antenna, a petal,
and the retracted airbags. Geologists are eager to examine the rocks of
the Ares Vallis terrain. As predicted, the landing site has provided a grab
bag of diverse rock types and sizes. |
This image was taken on July 5 by the IMP camera. The flat, table-like rock
appears to be covered with dust. The rock also displays many interesting
linear features. The large rocks in the background are intriguing because
of their impressive textures. |
This image of the rear (or right) ramp was taken by the IMP camera on July
5, 1997. This ramp was used to deploy the rover. |
| 80896_full.jpg |
80900_full.jpg |
80901_full.jpg |
| Both the front and rear rover deployment ramps have been deployed. This
image shows the front (or left) ramp. The ramps both measure 1 m in length. |
This image was taken by the IMP camera before the rover ramps were deployed.
The smaller rock in the left portion of the image, named Barnacle Bill,
will be the first rock examined by the rover's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer
(APXS). |
In the front left of this image is the site of the first measurements taken
by the APXS. Over the cold martian night, the rover examined this soil and
will transmit the data back to Earth via the lander later this afternoon,
July 6. |
| 80902_full.jpg |
80904_full.jpg |
| This image shows the diversity of rocks at the Ares Vallis site. The large
rocks seem to lean in a uniform direction (imbrication). This observation
suggests that catastrophic floods once ran through the site. Seen on the
horizon is a faint peak. |
Named Twin Peaks, the formation of two hills in the background are of
extreme geological interest. The left hill has a smooth apron which may
have been caused by gravitational processes or water. The hill on the right
seems to have horizontal bands running through it. As of yet unidentified,
the bands may be deposits, sedimentary layers, or terraces cut by erosion.
The twin peaks in the distant are approximately 1 mile from the Sagan
Memorial Station. The rocks in the foreground are very diverse. Some are
rounded and suggest transport by water, others are tabular and angular and
indicate non-aqueous deposition. Preliminary hypotheses by Pathfinder geologists
are that the angular rocks were thrown from ancient, nearby impact crater
sites. |
|
"Six wheels on soil!" This image was taken by the
IMP camera on July 5, 1997. Sojourner's descent down the rear rover deployment
ramp was successful. The microrover's seven month journey from Earth to
Mars is complete. The soil beneath Sojourner (with tracks showing behind
the right rear wheel) will be the first target of the Alpha Proton X-Ray
Spectrometer.
| 80911_full.jpg |
|
This 360-degree photomosaic was taken by the IMP camera on
July 4, 1997. The foreground is dominated by the lander, newly entitled
the Sagan Memorial Station. 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.
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 Ares Vallis is in the background. The sections
of soil and the large rocks surrounding the Sagan Memorial Station will
provide the rover with numerous opportunities to employ the Alpha Proton
X-Ray Spectrometer. The prominent hills in the background will aid scientists
in determining the exact site of the Sagan Memorial Station.
| 80881_full.jpg |
|
| 80839_full.jpg |
80828_full.jpg |
80827_full.jpg |
| 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. |
|
| 80823_full.jpg
80824_full.jpg |
| These images show that the Mars Pathfinder airbags have been successfully
retracted, allowing safe deployment of the rover ramps. The airbags visible
prominently in the top image are noticeably retracted at the bottom of the
second image. The Sojourner rover is at lower right in this second image,
and rocks are visible in the background. |
|
| 80807_full.jpg |
80808_full.jpg |
80809_full.jpg |
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 picture shows these Sojourner rover
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. |
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. |
This closeup picture of the Mars Pathfinder lander shows the
front of the small Sojourner rover, perched on a solar panel. The white
material in front of the rover is a portion of the air bag system. Beyond
the air bag is the rock-strewn Martian surface. A number of image processing
artifacts are seen in this picture. Most apparent are seams between sub-frames
offsetting portions of the rover's wheels and solar panel, color fringes
that result from viewing the rover from the two separated eyes of the camera,
and blocky fringes near edges and smooth areas that are created by data
compression. |
| 80811_full.jpg |
80812_full.jpg |
80813_full.jpg |
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. |
In this image from the Pathfinder IMP camera, a diversity
of rocks are 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. |
View of martian surface taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder
(IMP), the camera on board the Mars Pathfinder lander. This image was taken
in mid-morning on Mars (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time, July 4, 1997). 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. |
| 80814_full.jpg |
80815_full.jpg |
80816_full.jpg |
This image from the 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 is protruding from
the rear (right side) of the rover. The airbags behind the rover are presently
blocking the ramp from being safely unfurled. |
This image from the Mars Pathfinder IMP camera shows airbags
in the foreground, a large rock in the mid-field, and a hill in the background. |
This image from the Mars Pathfinder IMP camera shows portions
of the airbags, part of a petal, soil, and several rocks. The furrows in
the soil were artificially produced by the retraction of the airbags after
landing. |
|
The above image represents Humankind's return to the Red Planet.
More than twenty years after the Viking I and II missions, Pathfinder has
landed on Mars.
 |
|
|
|
Mars Pathfinder
