[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Mars Pathfinder Update - July 19, 1997

     PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
     JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
     CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
     NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
     PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
     http://www.jpl.nasa.gov 


     Mars Pathfinder Mission Status
     July 19, 1997
     10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time

     Last night's receipt of scientific data from Mars Pathfinder was 
     delayed until tonight due to minor ground station problems that 
     interfered with capturing all of Pathfinder's radio transmissions, 
     mission engineers said today. 

     A short downlink opportunity and a problem with ground station 
     computers combined to prevent most of Pathfinder's scientific 
     data from being received last night.  But engineering data from the 
     rover and lander show that both remain in excellent health as they 
     completed the first day of their third week on the surface of Mars.

     "All the telemetry from the lander and rover continue to show that we
     have two very healthy spacecraft," said project manager Brian 
     Muirhead.  "We successfully completed the rover's seven-day prime 
     mission and have finished the first week of its extended mission, 
     and we are half-way through the lander's 30-day prime mission.  
     Everything looks good for continued operations with outstanding 
     science return from both lander and rover," he said. 

     Last night's scheduled science data return will be retransmitted 
     during the next Mars day, Sol 16, which begins tonight.  Engineers 
     also plan to send a new software patch to remove the software bug that
     had caused the lander's computer to reset itself earlier in the 
     mission.  The next downlink session is scheduled to include images of
     the Martian moon Phobos, along with observations of early morning fog,
     measurements of the rock Scoobie Doo and images of various features 
     around the lander.

     Mission engineers said that overnight, Sojourner had successfully 
     executed commands to move its wheels to scrape off the top layer of 
     dust from the rock Scoobie Doo.  The rover's spectrometer was to have
     then repositioned its sensor to measure the newly revealed surface of
     the rock.  The extended sensor head, however, apparently overshot the
     edge of the rock and did not make contact.  Engineers will analyze 
     data on the position of the rover and its spectrometer and plan to 
     reposition the instrument tonight.

     On this Martian Day, Sol 15, Earth rise was at 6:07 p.m. PDT 
     yesterday, sunrise was at 9:55 p.m. PDT, Earth set was at 8:25 a.m. 
     PDT and sunset was at 10:51 a.m. PDT.  The day's total data return 
     from the Mars station was 2 megabits.

                               #####