Mars Pathfinder discovers fossil remains of life on the red planet. Mars Pathfinder launched December 2, 1996 arrived on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. The mission was an engineering marvel. The robotic mission delivered science instruments to the surface of Mars to investigate the structure of the Martian atmosphere, surface meteorology, planet geology, form, and structure, and the elemental composition of Martian rocks and soil. A small, 10-kilogram rover was carried on the Pathfinder and became the first rover ever to explore the Martian surface. The Mars Pathfinder was an ambitious mission to send a Lander and a separate, remote-controlled rover to the surface of Mars and demonstrated a number of innovative, economical, and highly effective approaches to spacecraft and mission design of a planetary landing mission. The mission had the primary objective of demonstrating the feasibility of low-cost landings on and exploration of the Martian surface. In the process the Mars Pathfinder discovered fossil remains of life on the red planet.