NASA Solarsystem Collection

Newly Deployed Sojourner Rover

This 8-image mosaic was acquired during the late afternoon (near 5pm LST, note the long shadows) on Sol 2 as part of the predeploy "insurance panorama" and shows the newly deployed rover sitting on the Martian surface. This color image was generated from images acquired at 530,600, and 750 nm.

The insurance panorama was designed as "insurance" against camera failure upon deployment. Had the camera failed, the losslessly-compresse d, multispectral insurance panorama would have been the main source of image data from the IMP. However, the camera deployment was successful, leaving the insurance panorama to be downlinked to Earth several weeks later.

Ironically enough, the insurance panorama contains some of the best quality image data because of the lossless data compression and relatively dust-free state of the camera and associated lander/rover hardware on Sol 2.

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. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal investigator.

*Image Credit*: NASA

Solar System Exploration

SSE

Space

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

JPL

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Planets

Mars

Earth

Mars Pathfinder

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Mars

California

Washington

Arizona

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Washington, D.C.

SPD-SLRSY-2118

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