Mars Pathfinder & Sojourner Rover launched 1996

Sojourner on Mars

Mission patch

The Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner Truth Rover were launched on December 4, 1996 to Mars.  It reached the Red Planet July 4, 1997 and proceeded to exceed all expectations.  Anticipated to last only a week to a month,  Sojourner Truth lasted almost three months, sending its last communication on September 27.  Its on-board battery was designed to last a month, but probably failed due to repeated charging and discharging. 

It opened a new era into interplanetary rovers.  The Soviets had been sending  rovers to the moon but their attempts at Mars failed.  NASA's mantra of 'faster, better, cheaper' seemed to have paid off since the cost of the mission was less than $150M, which is one-fifteenth of the cost to send the Viking landers. 

The Mars Pathfinder sent back more than 2.3 billion bits of information, made 8.5 million measurements of the atmosphere and 16,500 pictures.

Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Lands on Mars 1997

The little probe that could, Mars Pathfinder Sojourner, landed on the Red Planet July 4, 1997.  Originally expected to operate for one week to at most one month, Sojourner surpassed all expectations and lasted three months, before contact was lost.

The rover was launched December 4, 1996, taking seven months to reach Mars.  It showed NASA's commitment to lower cost missions, for example, using air bags to land instead of thrusters.

Juno arrives at Jupiter - 2016; Pathfinder arrives at Mars - 1997

Juno spacecraft

July 4, although an important day in America's independence, is also a banner day for NASA.

Yesterday, Juno reached Jupiter, spacecraft launched in August 5, 2011 to study the largest planet in our solar system.  From now until October, scientists will work to calibrate on-board instruments and conduct some testing of Juno's subsystems.  The real analysis will start in October.

Sojourner on Mars

July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder landed on the Red Planet and deployed the rover Sojourner.  Talk about the "Little Engine that Could", Sojourner, which was supposed to operate from a week to a month, worked for over 3 months before sending its last transmission in September 1997.