On July 4, 1997, seven months and 119 million miles (192 million kilometers) from Earth, the Mars Pathfinder space probe made a landing unlike any ever before successfully attempted in space exploration. Pathfinder’s route to Mars was a “ballistic” approach—from the moment it was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on December 4, 1996, the craft was aimed at the Ares Vallis region of Mars. Just four trajectory correction maneuvers were necessary to bring Pathfinder in on target. The feat was not unlike a par four hole of golf, teeing off in Los Angeles, California, and aiming for a four-inch (ten-centimeter) moving hole in Houston, Texas. Moments before reaching the surface, the craft sprouted air bags that cushioned its impact. The next day Sojourner, the first-ever interplanetary rover, rolled off the lander. A new era of Mars exploration had begun.

Enhance your visit to the red planet—both online and on paper—with the 3-D glasses from the August 1998 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC or our new book, Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet. (You can also get a pair from a comic book store.) If you’re not a National Geographic Society member, you’re missing much more than just a pair of glasses. You’re missing an invaluable lens on a changing world. Visit the NGS Store and become a member today!

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