PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
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http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Mars Pathfinder Mission Status
July 28, 1997
3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
The Mars Pathfinder lander and rover remain healthy and are continuing science experiments on the surface of Mars. The Earth rose over Mars on this Martian day -- Sol 24 -- at 12:48 a.m. PDT. The sun rose at 3:53 a.m. PDT.

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) camera focused its lens on the sky today to photograph dust in the upper atmosphere and to search for clouds. IMP also imaged the wind socks onboard the Pathfinder lander to give scientists more information on wind direction and strength. Also included in today's photography session were images of Phobos, one of Mars' two small moons, and plans to image the Martian sunset later today.

The flight team continued to downlink data for the super panorama of the landing site, which is being assembled by the IMP team, said Flight Director Guy Beutelschies.

Sojourner was awakened this morning with the pop song "Radar Love," and executed a 7-meter (23-foot) traverse, the longest trip yet to be completed. The rover began its journey near the rock "Souffle" and ended it near the rock called "Mini Matterhorn." Next the rover imaged the rock and then the lander. Plans for tomorrow (Sol 25) call for more imaging of "Mini Matterhorn," after which the rover will begin a new traverse toward a rock called "Mermaid."

The Earth set at 2:23 p.m. PDT today and the sun will set at 4:43 p.m. PDT.

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