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This photo, taken during recent Mars Pathfinder testing, shows the lander opening its petals to expose the mini-rover (on left petal). Large air bags, deflated after landing, are seen below the petals. Pathfinder will spend about three hours after landing to reach this configuration. Once its petals are flush with the ground, two exit ramps will unfold to allow the rover easy access to the surface. By sunrise, the rover will be ready to stand up to its full height and take one of the two exit ramps off the lander and onto the Martian surface. There it will begin a week of science experiments on the surface of Mars. Pathfinder is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is scheduled for launch on Dec. 2, 1996.
Description
This photo, taken during recent Mars Pathfinder testing, shows the lander opening its petals to expose the mini-rover (on left petal). Large air bags, deflated after landing, are seen below the petals. Pathfinder will spend about three hours after landing to reach this configuration. Once its petals are flush with the ground, two exit ramps will unfold to allow the rover easy access to the surface. By sunrise, the rover will be ready to stand up to its full height and take one of the two exit ramps off the lander and onto the Martian surface. There it will begin a week of science experiments on the surface of Mars. Pathfinder is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is scheduled for launch on Dec. 2, 1996.
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