NASA's Mars Pathfinder has begun to provide scientists with a wealth of data on the Red Planet, following a successful landing on 4 July. The Pathfinder landed in the Ares Vallis, an ancient flood basin, as planned - with the only hitches in an otherwise flawless landing and descent being a partial deflation of one of the impact bags, and the Rover's initial reluctance to leave the landing vehicle. The six-wheeled Rover is now on the surface using its X-ray spectrometer to examine a variety of rocks, including one christened Yogi by NASA. The Rover has been providing scientists with imagery and data on the immediate area around the lander, with scientists identifying and allocating rock structures of interest from the initial imagery. The Rover is then tasked with closer examination. NASA has named the lander the Sagan Memorial Station to commemorate Carl Sagan, the space scientist, who died in 1996.
Source: Flight International