What happens to the rover after the 30 sol primary mission of the lander?
Beyond 30 sols (if not before), a functioning ‘Sojourner’ rover will be directed to explore beyond the range of the imaging system on the lander (approximately 10m) if not beyond the range of the communication system (perhaps 500m). In this extended mission, the rover will be asked to image the terrain, take measurements with the Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer of soil and rocks, and take engineering measurements which together help in the characterization of the landing site. Back to the top of the page.
