Mars Pathfinder

E86305

Mars Pathfinder was a NASA mission that successfully landed a stationary base and the Sojourner rover on Mars in 1997, demonstrating innovative low-cost technologies for planetary exploration.

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Observed surface forms (3)


Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mars lander mission
NASA Mars mission
actualMissionDurationOnSurface 83 sols
arrivalDateAtMars 1997-07-04
carriedRover Sojourner
communicationBand UHF relay via rover
direct-to-Earth X-band
communicationEndDate 1997-09-27
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
demonstratedTechnology airbag landing system
autonomous rover navigation
low-cost planetary mission design
microrover operations
designedMissionDurationOnSurface 30 sols
firstUSRoverOnMars true
influencedMission Mars Exploration Rover mission
Mars Science Laboratory
landingDate 1997-07-04
landingRegion Chryse Planitia
landingSite Ares Vallis
launchCountry United States NERFINISHED
launchDate 1996-12-04
launchSite Cape Canaveral Air Station Space Launch Complex 17B NERFINISHED
launchVehicle Delta rocket
surface form: Delta II 7925
managedBy Jet Propulsion Laboratory
missionType lander
planetary exploration mission
technology demonstration mission
namedAfter pathfinding concept for future Mars missions
notableFirst first successful Mars landing by NASA since Viking missions
first successful use of airbags for planetary landing
first wheeled vehicle operated on Mars
operator NASA
powerSource solar panels
primaryLanderName Carl Sagan Memorial Station
program NASA Discovery Program
surface form: Discovery Program
scientificInstrument X-ray Spectrometer
surface form: Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer

Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package
Mars Pathfinder self-linksurface differs
surface form: Imager for Mars Pathfinder
scientificObjective analyze Martian rocks and soil
characterize Martian surface geology
study Martian atmosphere
study Martian climate
spaceAgency NASA
spacecraftBus custom Mars lander design
status mission complete
targetPlanet Mars
usedEntryDescentLandingTechnique aeroshell
airbags
parachute
solid rocket motors

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mars exploredBy Mars Pathfinder
APXS mountedOn Mars Pathfinder
this entity surface form: Mars Pathfinder Sojourner rover
APXS mountedOn Mars Pathfinder
this entity surface form: Mars Pathfinder lander
Mars Exploration Program notableMission Mars Pathfinder
Jet Propulsion Laboratory notableProject Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder scientificInstrument Mars Pathfinder self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Imager for Mars Pathfinder
APXS usedByMission Mars Pathfinder