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Mars Pathfinder Update - July 22, 1997

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 22, 1997
              12 Noon Pacific Daylight Time

     Two-and-a-half weeks after landing in an ancient Martian 
flood basin known as Ares Vallis, Mars Pathfinder has fulfilled 
all of its primary science goals and continues to operate nearly 
flawlessly, the flight team reported at today's press briefing.  

     More than 300 megabits of data have been returned just in 
the last week, said Dr. Matthew Golombek, Pathfinder project 
scientist. The rover continues to follow an aggressive series of 
maneuvers to study rocks and soils identified by the science 
teams for their interesting features. In addition, the rover's 
wheel tracks and soil abrasion experiments are beginning to yield 
new information about the Martian soil, which appears to be finer 
than talcum powder.  

     Worldwide interest in the mission has peaked, with more than 
400 million hits reported on the Internet today, said Kirk 
Goodall, Mars Pathfinder web engineer.  Goodall and David Dubov, 
Mars Pathfinder webmaster, constructed 20 Pathfinder mirror sites 
prior to landing day to service the public. The most hits 
received in a single day -- 46 million -- occurred on July 8, 
Goodall said, which is more than double the number of hits 
received in a single day during the 1996 Olympic Games in 
Atlanta, Georgia.

     A communications problem experienced last weekend has been 
resolved, reported Richard Cook, Mars Pathfinder mission manager. 
The problem was associated with ground operations, which has been 
required to reconfigure equipment and software on a daily basis, 
and the necessity of establishing communications links only 
during the short periods of time each day when the lander's 
transmitter is on.   

     Scientists are beginning to learn more about the Martian 
soil by studying the rover's wheel tracks, asking it to perform 
soil abrasion experiments and measuring the magnetic properties 
of dust that is being collected by a magnetic instrument on the 
rover. Dr. Henry Moore, a rover scientist with the U.S. 
Geological Survey in Menlo Park, CA, likened the Martian soil to 
a very fine-grained silt that could be found in Nebraska. The 
Martian particles are less than 50 microns in diameter, which is 
finer than talcum powder.

     Dr. Peter Smith, University of Arizona, who is principal 
investigator of the lander camera, described more about the 
Martian landscape, pointing out a shallow riverbed crossing 
through the landing site and rocks in the distance that were 
washed into this outflow channel from the Martian highlands. 

    Science activities tonight will take the rover through the 
"cabbage patch," an area of soil in between Scooby Doo and a 
light-colored rock named Lamb. The rover will conduct a soil 
experiment , then turn and move toward Lamb. Scientists will take 
measurements of the dark soil near that rock before moving 
Sojourner close enough to place its spectrometer against the 
rock.    

     On this Martian day, Sol 18, Earth rose over the Sagan 
Memorial Station at 8:47 p.m. PDT yesterday, July 21.  Sunrise 
was at 11:54 p.m. July 21 and Earth set occurred this morning 
(July 22) at 10:25 a.m. PDT. 

     An audio update on Pathfinder's status can be heard by 
calling 1-800-391-6654.

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