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.

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.

Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.