On July 4, while many Americans were celebrating Independence Day, an exciting event took place millions of miles away on the planet Mars. After a seven-month journey, the spacecraft Pathfinder successfully landed on the soil of a long-dry floodplain, causing jubilation at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and creating stiff competition for even the best display of fireworks. Get the latest word on Mars as chief project scientist Matthew Golombek presents a firsthand look at this milestone in exploration. Learn how Pathfinder and the instrument-toting robot, Sojourner, were developed. Find out what scientists have learned from the rock, soil, and atmospheric tests. And see why President Bill Clinton said this project “marks the beginning of a new era in the nation’s space exploration program.”