Summary

Footage Information

CONUS Archive
13483
Mars Exploration (06/28/1997)
Outer Space
Pkg*
6/28/1997
17:53
1:18
J.P. Verweij, Reporting
Graphics of Mars and pathfinder, graphics of parachute, more graphics of Mars exploration, graphics of robot on Mars.
LEAD: While NASA is helping to fix problems on Mir, another mission will unfold in the next few days. The "Pathfinder" is set to land on Mars, to collect samples and send back pictures to Earth. Reporter J.P. Verweij has more on the mission, paving the way for possibly human travel to the Red Planet. (Take Pkg) SCRIPT: In the first week of July, the Mars Pathfinder will face the red planet and start it's landing. 30-minutes before impact on July 4th, the craft will dive directly into the atmosphere.. creating fireworks around the craft. As it pierces the Martian atmosphere at more than 16-thousand miles an hour, Pathfinder will slow down to about 9-thousand miles an hour. At that point, a parachute will slow the craft down even more. And the lander will deploy airbags to cushion the impact. A few seconds later, retro rockets will stop the craft and suspend it in air for a moment. Pathfinder will then drop to the ground. Since mars has nearly one-third the gravity of earth, the spacecraft will bounce as high as a 10-story building, before coming to a halt. The airbags will deflate and the lander will open up like a flower to catch the rising sun. After solar panels collect enough electricity, a camera will pan the horizon, and send the first photos back to earth. At the same time, ramps will unfold, and the surface rover, called "Sojourner" will venture onto the surface. The rover uses lasers and cameras to find rocks in its path. If everything works as planned, NASA is considering a series of return missions, leading up to possible human travel... in the year 2-thousand and eleven at the earliest.
Not everything listed in the CONUS Archive is necessarily licensable. Reporter sound/image is not licensable
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