Welcome to July 4, 1997. Mars Pathfinder has just plowed into the martian surface (movie) at a speed
of more than 16,0000 miles per hour, slowing down with the help of a parachute and small
rockets, and then landing in a heap of giant airbags
(movie) that bounce up to 40 feet high after hitting the surface, and bouncing again and
again until finally coming to a rest. Finally, the airbags deflate, and the lander
opened like a flower. Crawling out of the lander came a little rover that set off to explore the planet, ending one
remarkable journey and beginning another. The precedence of this historic moment is
beyond scope considering what the Mars Pathfinder was set out to accomplish. The primary mission of the spacecraft is
to photograph the surface and make tests of the
rock, soil, and dust. An alpha-scattering instrument will make an analysis of the
chemical compositions the various materials it encounters. Magnets, attached to the
spacecraft, will examine the magnetic properties
of the fine, dusty material. Temperatures will be measured during the lengthy
day. But it will be the camera that produces the most dramatic results and
captivates the public.
