Mars Pathfinder was a United States spacecraft that transmitted images and other data from the surface of Mars for nearly three months in 1997. On July 4, 1997, Pathfinder “bounced-down” on the Ares Vallis flood plain of Mars. It “bounced” because part of its mission was to test a new landing system that used parachutes and air bags rather than the traditional rockets. Just before landing, the air bags inflated to completely enclose the spacecraft. This cushioning enabled Pathfinder to land in a rocky, boulder-filled valley that would have been impossible for a conventional spacecraft.
After landing, Pathfinder released Mars Sojourner Rover, a small, six-wheeled robot that analyzed the rocks and soil on Mars. The Pathfinder mission returned more than 16,500 images to scientists on Earth, including spectacular color pictures of Mars’s surface and views of the planet’s moons and the sun from Mars.
Pathfinder identified volcanic rocks that scientists had not expected to find on Mars. It also found that a cloud layer covers the Martian sky in the morning.
See also Mars (Observation by spacecraft) Space exploration (Exploring Mars).
