Som ET - 59 - Mars - Mars Pathfinder - Sojourner Rover - 1996 The Mars Pathfinder mission, designed to demonstrate a low-cost method for delivering a set of science instruments to the Red Planet, was the first wheeled vehicle to be used on any other planet in the solar system and served as the foundation for the Mars rovers of today. The mission landed a rover -- Sojourner -- on the surface of Mars using an air bag landing system and innovative petal design, which have been used since in various

OTD In Space - July 4: Mars Pathfinder Arrives On Mars