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PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
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 20, 1997
1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time

dot.gifThe Pathfinder mission operations team commanded the lander early this morning and did obtain a carrier signal over the high- gain antenna starting at 3:14 a.m. PDT for the normal period of about 66 minutes, but the signal strength was below expected levels and no scientific data was received.

dot.gif"This told us that the spacecraft was basically healthy but that there was a problem with the telecommunications link," said Project Manager Brian Muirhead. A later attempt to communicate with the lander through its high-gain antenna from 7:03 to 7:27 a.m. PDT was not successful.

dot.gif"The flight team is assessing the possible causes of the communication problem, said Muirhead. "This morning's problem may be related to some extent to configuration problems between the spacecraft and the Deep Space Network, but more data is needed to fully assess the problem. We are trying to troubleshoot a problem with very little information," he said.

dot.gifThe flight team is preparing sequences for a low-gain antenna communications session for about midnight tonight (July 20, Pacific Time). A communications session with the high-gain antenna is planned for about 3:30 a.m. PDT tomorrow, July 21.

dot.gif"Since we have only limited windows to communicate with the spacecraft we must wait patiently for our next opportunity, Muirhead said. "We will go through the usual steps that have worked for us before, and then we will get to the bottom of the problem as we have before." The telecommunications problem is not thought to be related to the reset problem previously experienced by the lander's computer.

dot.gifThe rover remains safely at the rock called Scooby Doo. Earth will rise over the Sagan Memorial Station at 8:07 p.m. PDT today July 20, and sunrise will be at 11:15 p.m. Earth set is at 9:45 a.m. July 21.

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

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