Pathfinder & Sojourner

Brittany Grinner

Paul Lim

PATHFINDER & SOJOURNER

OBJECTIVES

• NASA wanted to prove they could develop a faster, cheaper, and better spacecraft

• Wanted to prove they could send load of scientific equipment to another planet

• Demonstrate NASA’s commitment to low-cost planetary exploration

• Finished the mission with 280 million dollars

• Main reason was to observe Mars

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Conducted different investigations on Martian soil

• Using a stereoscopic camera, they collected data about pressure, temperature, and wind

• X-ray spectrometer observed components of rock and soil

• Camera on rover was used to investigate the geology of Martian surface

• Found the magnetic and mechanical properties of dust, atmosphere, and rotational orbit of the planet

• Sent 16,500 pictures, 2.3 billion bits of info, and 8.5 million measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed

• Rover lasted for three months