The Mars Pathfinder objective was produced as an affordable way to transport a group of scientific tools to the Red Planet. This objective was a milestone as it marked the very first time a wheeled automobile had ever been deployed on any world in our planetary system. Moreover, the successful shipment of Sojourner– a rover– set the foundation for the Mars rovers that we have today.
The Pathfinder objective made use of an air bag landing system and innovative petal design to land Sojourner on the Martian surface area. Once on the ground, Sojourner completed an 83-day expedition of Mars, which exceeded the organized seven-day objective period.
JPL and the Space Age Video Series
By NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 15, 2023
The documentary film “The Pathfinders” tells the story of a small group of engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory who did not hearken cautions that the audacious obstacle of landing on Mars with air bags would likely not be a career-enhancing move.
The Mars Pathfinder mission was produced as an affordable method to transfer a group of scientific tools to the Red Planet. The successful delivery of Sojourner– a rover– set the foundation for the Mars rovers that we have today.
Artists principle of the Mars Pathfinder mission, including the Carl Sagan Memorial Science Station and the six-wheeled rover, Sojourner. Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech
It began with JPL concurring to land something on Mars– inexpensively– and do it in a drastically different way. This is how the age NASA called “Faster, Better, Cheaper” began. The documentary “The Pathfinders” informs the story of a little group of engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory who did not observe warnings that the adventurous obstacle of landing on Mars with air bags would likely not be a career-enhancing relocation.
With a parachute that could not be tested in a method to match the Martian atmosphere, to the late addition of an undesirable rover that would not have looked out of place in a toy store, the Mars Pathfinder mission was a doubters dream, taken on by a primarily young group of engineers and researchers, who were assisted by a grizzled supervisor known for his radical methods.
The Pathfinders retraces the journey of this bold objective to Mars that caught the hearts and minds of individuals around the globe with its significant landing and its small rover– the first wheels ever to roll on Mars.