Mars Pathfinder
Overview
This NASA mission was launched on a Delta II rocket on December 4, 1996. The Mars Pathfinder mission was used to demonstrate how NASA could send an exploratory mission to Mars 1/15th of the cost of the Viking budget in the 1970's. The mission was developed at a cost of under $150 million in 3 years.
One of the major mission objectives was to deliver a microrover to the surface safely so the surface composition and, ultimately, the search for life could be carried out. The microrover onbord was known as Sojourner.
