PIA05132: Bouncing Down to Mars


Bouncing Down to Mars

Caption:

This image shows the path (blue line) taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as it bounced down to its final resting spot in Gusev Crater, Mars. Data taken by Spirit during descent indicates that the rover bounced 28 times, including one dip into a crater. The green dot shows where the parachute bridle was cut, and the red dot indicates where the main retrorockets were fired. North is denoted by the red-tipped arrow in the white cross. This picture consists of reconstructed telemetry data mapped on top of surface images captured by the descent image motion estimation system camera located on the bottom of the rover.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
Instrument Host Spirit (MER-A)
Host Type Rover
Instrument Descent Image Motion Estimation System (DIMES)
Detector
Extra Keywords Color, Crater
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2004-01-23
Date in Caption
Image Credit NASA/JPL
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05132
Identifier PIA05132