The Mars Polar Lander was launched.
The Mars Polar Lander was launched on Jan. 3, 1999, from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
This 640 pound (290 kg) robotic spacecraft lander was launched to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the South Pole on Mars.
This unsuccessful U.S. space probe that was loss in late 1999 badly stung the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), forcing the agency to reassess its Mars exploration strategy.
Because the spacecraft had cost so much: an estimated $813 million, nearly four times the original budget for the project.