The primary funtion of the Mars Pathfinder Mission was to test new NASA technology. Ninety percent of the mission focus was to prove a spacecraft could directly enter the Martian atmosphere, land on the planet's surface using airbags, bounce across that surface, and then deploy a rover.
And do it cheaply. Mission accomplished! Here's how the Viking Missions and the Pathfinder Mission add up:
Vikings 1 & 2 |
Pathfinder | |
| Cost | $3 billion (in 1997 dollars) for 2 launches, 2 orbiters, and 2 landers |
$250 million for launch, lander, and rover |
| Development | 8 years |
4 years |
| Travel Time | 11 months to cover 500 million miles, including orbit |
7 months to cover 310 million miles |
| Life-span | 6 years |
Original projection: a month for the Rover and up to a year for the lander |