The mysterious rover that was left on Mars 26 years ago

NASA chose July 4, 1997, Independence Day, to deliver its first robotic rover to the surface of Mars, the Sojourner mission. Mars explorer.

The mission was launched on December 4, 1996 aboard a Delta rocket, a month after the launch. Mars Global Surveyor After 7 months of travel, he arrived in Ares Valles in an area called Chris Planitia (Golden Plains).

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He has rested there since the end of the mission, scheduled for five weeks, but lasting five months. It is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments to analyze Mars' atmosphere, climate, geology, and rock and soil composition. The lander sent back more than 16,500 images and made 8.5 million measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature and wind speed.

He worked non-stop and then they left him

Upon arrival, a complex mission procedure was used to reach the surface without damage. A heat shield and a large brake parachute were used, as well as a radar altimeter so the lander could determine its altitude; In the last section, old missiles to stop the lander during its landing; Finally, 24 airbags deployed 8 seconds before impact to cushion the fall once the lander separated from its parachute.

The impact speed was 10.6 meters per second. This entire process was completed in a time of 4 minutes. Once the lander was placed on the surface, the airbags deflated and were retracted to their base, so that the petals along with the solar panels finally opened.

The lander arrived at its destination at night, so it had to wait until sunrise to be able to send the first signals to Earth. Once the information was received, engineers realized that one of the airbags had not fully deflated and could cause problems upon subsequent deployment of the Sojourner descent ramp.

To this end, they sent commands to the lander to raise and lower one of the rover's petals and thus crush the air pocket. The operation was successful, according to NASA.

The last signal was received from the rover on the morning of October 7, 1997. From that moment on, it remained there on Mars, abandoned, after tremendous work, without any reward.

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