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This color image shows the Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Moe" on the morning of Sol 65. The rock behind the rover is "Half Dome", which was previously measured by the APXS.

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This composite image shows particles adhering to magnetic target arrays on the Pathfinder lander. Each array consists of five magnets that increase in magnetic filed strength as seen from left to right. The red material forming a bull's-eye pattern on the arrays is magnetic Martian dust deposited from the atmosphere. An increase in magnetic dust deposition from Sol 10 to Sol 66 is clearly evident. By analyzing the patterns of dust on the various magnets, scientists are able to measure the dust's magnetic strength and infer its composition.

MARS PATHFINDER MISSION STATUS
9 September 1997, 5:30 p.m. PDT

The lander powered up on the surface of mars this morning at 9:23 am PDT and nominal up links were sent at 12:30 pm PDT.

The up links included a rover load and lander sequences for the next several days on Mars. The up links were conducted over a 34 meter antenna located in Goldstone California. The only down link for the day occurred over the 70 meter antenna located at Goldstone California. The down link was 3 hours and 28 minutes in duration at a data rate of 8295 bits per second. The down link was interrupted several times due to antenna problems, but almost all of the data was received. Included in the data is a part of the super pan, a set of images of the entire landing site taken in all geology filters at a lossless or at a 2 to 1 compression ratio. The rover drove today but terminated its traverse slightly short of its objectives due to a glitch in an accelerometer. The rover will continue to drive tomorrow.

The rover and lander continue to remain in excellent health.

For further information on the Mars Pathfinder Mission, please call our Mission Status Report line at 1-800-391-6654.