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LOCATIONAres Vallis
LAT19.33°
LON-33.55°
DISTANCE TRAVELED0.100 km
SOLS ACTIVE82
0.100
KM TRAVELED
TOTAL DISTANCE
0.062 mi
82
SOLS
SURFACE OPERATIONS
550
PHOTOS
IMAGES CAPTURED
11
KG
ROVER MASS
23 lbs
0.024 km/h (0.4 m/min)
TOP SPEED
MAXIMUM VELOCITY
Sojourner is a mars rover by NASA / JPL. Landed July 4, 1997. Operating at Ares Vallis. Has traveled 0.100 km.
ABOUT SOJOURNER
Sojourner was the first rover to operate on Mars, arriving on July 4, 1997, as part of the Mars Pathfinder mission. About the size of a microwave oven and weighing just 10.6 kg, this technology demonstration was designed for a 7-sol mission but operated for 83 sols, traveling about 100 meters around the lander. It pioneered the rocker-bogie suspension system that would become standard on all subsequent Mars rovers.
KEY DISCOVERIES
- Rocks at landing site similar to terrestrial andesites
- Evidence of ancient water activity at Ares Vallis
- Demonstrated feasibility of long-range Mars roving
- Soil properties similar to those measured by Viking landers
TECHNOLOGY & FIRSTS
- First rover to operate on Mars
- Rocker-bogie suspension (now standard for Mars rovers)
- Semi-autonomous hazard avoidance
- Exceeded design life by 12x (83 sols vs 7 sol design)
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (4)
Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)
Front and rear cameras
Wheel abrasion experiment
Material adherence experiment
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels6
Mass11 kg (23 lbs)
Dimensions0.65m long, 0.48m wide, 0.30m tall
Top Speed0.024 km/h (0.4 m/min)
PowerSolar panel (0.22 m²) (16W)
CommunicationsUHF modem relay via Pathfinder lander
Design Life7 sols
Landing DateJuly 4, 1997
Mission EndSeptember 27, 1997
ProgramMars Pathfinder