On This Day: July 4, 1997 — Mars Pathfinder Lands on Mars
Quick Answer: The Mars Pathfinder landing happened on July 4, 1997, when NASA bounced a lander onto the plains of Ares Vallis using a cocoon of giant airbags. The next day it released Sojourner, a microwave-sized six-wheeled rover — the first wheeled machine ever to drive on another planet. Built on a shoestring budget of…