Mars Pathfinder Ends Mission After Battery Failure on Sept. 27, 1997
On September 27, 1997, NASA’s Mars Pathfinder lander transmitted its final data to Earth after its battery failed. The mission, which included the first Mars rover, Sojourner, lasted three months, exceeding its one-month goal. NASA attempted to reestablish contact for five months before officially ending the mission. Pathfinder served as a low-cost technology testbed, validating airbag landing systems and rocker-bogie suspension used in later missions like Spirit and Opportunity.
