Sojourner (rover)

Sojourner
Sojourner rover pictured by Pathfinder lander
Mission typeMars rover
OperatorNASA
WebsiteOfficial website
Mission duration
  • Planned: 7 sols (7 days)
  • Actual: 83 sols (85 days),
    landing to final contact
Spacecraft properties
Dry mass11.5 kilograms (25 lb)
PowerSolar panel: 13 W
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 4, 1996, 06:58:07 UTC
RocketDelta II 7925 D240
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-17B
ContractorMcDonnell Douglas
Deployed fromMars Pathfinder
Deployment dateJuly 5, 1997
End of mission
DeclaredMarch 10, 1998
Last contactSeptember 27, 1997
Mars rover
Landing dateJuly 4, 1997 16:56:55 UTC
Landing siteAres Vallis, Chryse Planitia
19°7′48″N 33°13′12″W / 19.13000°N 33.22000°W / 19.13000; -33.22000 (Sojourner rover (Mars Pathfinder))
Distance driven100 metres (330 ft)

Mars Pathfinder mission patch
NASA Mars rovers
Spirit →

The robotic Sojourner rover reached Mars on July 4, 1997 as part of the Mars Pathfinder mission. Sojourner was operational on Mars for 92 sols (95 Earth days), and was the first wheeled vehicle to operate on an astronomical object other than the Earth or Moon. The landing site was in the Ares Vallis channel in the Chryse Planitia region of the Oxia Palus quadrangle.[1]

The rover was equipped with front and rear cameras, and hardware that was used to conduct several scientific experiments. It was designed for a mission lasting 7 sols, with a possible extension to 30 sols,[2] and was active for 83 sols (85 Earth days). The rover communicated with Earth through the Pathfinder base station, which had its last successful communication session with Earth at 3:23 a.m. PDT on September 27, 1997.[3] The last signal from the rover was received on the morning of October 7, 1997.[4]

Sojourner traveled just over 100 meters (330 ft) by the time communication was lost.[5] Its final confirmed command was to remain stationary until October 5, 1997, (sol 91) and then drive around the lander;[6] there is no indication it was able to do so. The Sojourner mission formally ended on March 10, 1998, after all further options were exhausted.

  1. ^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). The NASA history series (second ed.). Washington, DC: NASA History Program Office. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-62683-042-4. LCCN 2017059404. SP2018-4041. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference faq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Mars Pathfinder – Mars – Sol 86 Images". mars.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2021-08-15.
  4. ^ "Mars Pathfinder – Mars – Sol 92 Images". mars.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  5. ^ "Sojourner". Archived from the original on 20 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Mars Pathfinder – Mars – Sol 89 Images". mars.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2021-08-15.