Mars Pathfinder – Spaceflight Now

July 28, 2021

Breaking News

[ July 27, 2021 ] SpaceX is about to begin launching the next series of Starlink satellites Falcon 9
[ July 26, 2021 ] Russia’s Pirs module discarded after 20 years of service at space station Mission Reports
[ July 25, 2021 ] China launches three more Yaogan spysats Mission Reports
[ July 22, 2021 ] NASA clears Boeing Starliner for launch on second unpiloted test flight Atlas 5
[ July 21, 2021 ] Russian science lab heads for International Space Station Mission Reports

NASA marks 20 years of continuous Mars exploration

July 4, 2017

NASA’s Mars Pathfinder probe dropped to the surface of Mars for an airbag-cushioned landing 20 years ago Tuesday, bouncing 15 times across an ancient flood plain before deploying a mobile robot to usher in two decades of uninterrupted Martian exploration.

Video: Tower rollback prior to launch of Mars Pathfinder atop a Delta 2

December 4, 1996

The Mobile Service Tower at LC-17B is rolled away from the Delta 2 rocket that launched NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission on its way to the red planet on December 4, 1996. This video includes footage shot inside the blockhouse at the launch pad.

Video: Mars Pathfinder pre-launch preparations

December 4, 1996

Mars Pathfinder Mission Director Tony Spear narrates a video describing the launch preparations for the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft and the Sojourner rover.