How Pathfinder Bounced onto Mars
Landing a spacecraft on Mars is tricky. A spacecraft arriving from Earth is moving much too fast to touch the ground safely. Mars Pathfinder needed several tools to slow down—and a way to survive the final drop.
On July 4, 1997, NASA’s Mars Pathfinder reached the Martian surface. First, a protective heat shield helped shield the spacecraft as it traveled through the atmosphere, the layer of gases surrounding Mars. Then a parachute opened to slow it further. Rockets also fired before the spacecraft reached the ground.
Pathfinder’s most unusual protection was a set of large airbags. These fabric cushions inflated around the lander shortly before it hit the surface. Instead of stopping instantly, the protected lander bounced and rolled across the rocky ground. The airbags absorbed much of the force of the impacts, helping protect the equipment inside.
Once the lander stopped moving, the airbags deflated and were pulled in. The lander opened its panels, or petals, and prepared for the next part of the mission. Pathfinder had already landed, but its small rover, Sojourner, was still aboard.
- surface:
- The outer or top part of something.
- inflated:
- Filled with air or another gas.
- absorbed:
- Took in or reduced the effect of something.
- impacts:
- Hits or collisions between things.
- deflated:
- Let air or gas out and became smaller.
- instruments:
- Tools used to gather information or make measurements.
- elements:
- Basic substances that make up materials.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did Pathfinder need more than one tool to land safely?
- 2How did the heat shield, parachute, and rockets help during the landing?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“How Pathfinder Bounced onto Mars” is a explanatory article reading passage about Mars exploration, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (255 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.