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Update -- July 9 11:15pm EDT (0315 UT July 10): New images taken by Pathfinder show a tall peak, perhaps 1,200 feet tall, about 20 miles away, as well as a crater rim a few miles away. Observations of the distant peak should help scientists better understand the haziness in the Martian atmosphere. Also, Sojourner took images of the Pathfinder lander and the rock "Yogi", and will press its spectrometer against the rock to take readings overnight. Additional analysis of the rock "Barnacle Bill" show it is a single rock and not a composite of several smaller ones, which makes it more likely it is volcanic in origin. Update -- July 9 5:45pm EDT (2145 UT): A NASA press release noted that the official Mars Pathfinder Web site and its mirror sites have logged 265 million hits since July 4, and are currently averaging about 45 million hits per day.
Update -- July 8 10:30pm EDT (0230 UT July 9): Soil analyzed by the rover Sojourner appears very similar to soil samples elsewhere on the planet analyzed by the two Viking landers in 1976, scientists reported Tuesday. Other results include "boring" weather conditions (cold temperatures and weak winds) and measurements of the dust in the Martian atmopshere, which appears to be at the same levels as a smoggy day in Los Angeles. NASA also released the "monster pan", a 360-degree color panoramic view of the landing site taken by Pathfinder. Update -- July 8 5:30pm EDT (2130 UT): Analysis of the rock "Barnacle Bill" shows that it appears to be an andesite, a type of igneous rock that is somwhat different than basalt, which scientists had expected the rock to be. Sojourner will travel to the larger boulder "Yogi" later today. So far Sojourner and Pathfinder have returned over 1,500 images of the Red Planet. Update -- July 8 11:45am EDT (1545 UT): NASA plans to release later today results from the analysis of soil and the rock "Barnacle Bill" by the rover Sojourner. NASA will also release a 360-degree color panoramic view of the landing site, taken by the camera on the lander. Sojourner will be studying a large nearby rock, "Yogi", during the day as well. Update -- July 7 4:45pm EDT (2045 UT): Sojourner will be headed today to a much larger nearby boulder, dubbed "Yogi". At a press conference this afternoon NASA project officials said everything was working well. Images of the landing site have convinced the scientists that analyzed them that the area was once the site of a massive flood, perhaps several billion years ago. Results from the analysis of the first rock ("Barnacle Bill") and soil samples taken Saturday night will be released Tuesday.
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Update -- July 9 2:20pm EDT (1820 UT):
Mission planners delayed Sojourner's arrival at the rock "Yogi"
late Tuesday because they feared the rover might slip in a depression
around the rock, which could have damaged the solar panels mounted
on the rover. Instead they took high-resolution images of the area
around the rock and directed Sojourner early Wednesday to go to
a side of the rock that was safer to access.
Update -- July 7 6:15am EDT (1015 UT):
Yesterday mission controllers commanded Sojourner to travel
several feet to a nearby rock, nicknamed "Barnacle Bill" because
of its pockmarked appearance. During the night the rover will
be taking measurements on the composition of the rock using
its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer. Later today the rover will
travel to another, larger, nearby rock.
