Back in September 2023, NASA shared an amazing picture of the surface of Mars.
The photo was snapped by the Mars Pathfinder, a special spacecraft that explored the red planet many years ago.
In the picture, you can see Mars’ rocky surface covered in red dust, and the Sojourner too, which is just like a little explorer on a big adventure.
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But the most fascinating things in the photo were the huge mountain far off in the distance and the Sojourner rover.
This incredible image takes us back to a historic mission that began in 1996.
That’s when the Mars Pathfinder was launched into space aboard a Delta II rocket.
It took off on December 4th, 1996, and after a long journey, the spacecraft finally reached the red planet on July 4th, 1997.
Can you imagine traveling through space for so long? It must have been quite an adventure for the Pathfinder!
The Mars Pathfinder mission was a big deal. It was the first time in over 20 years that a spacecraft had explored Mars.
It was part of NASA’s Discovery program, which aims to learn more about our solar system.
When the spacecraft landed safely on Mars, it started sending back data to Earth.
Imagine waiting eagerly for the news from another planet.
Data started coming in shortly after 5:00 PM, and later that evening, around 9:30 PM, NASA released the first images taken by the Pathfinder.
People all over the world were amazed to see what the red planet looked like up close.
One of the most exciting parts of the mission was when the Sojourner rover began exploring Mars’ surface.
It traveled around for three months, sending back all kinds of information about the rocks and soil it found.
And on September 27th, 1997, the Pathfinder completed its last successful data transmission cycle, marking the end of a remarkable journey.
