Space Agency Spawns Down-To-Earth Toys

By the time NASA’s Mars Pathfinder lumbers across Mars’ dusty surface next summer, millions of children could be pushing toy models of the six-wheeled rover across their living room floors.

NASA is targeting the space travelers of the future in its latest efforts to make money on the space program. Also on the toy makers’ drawing boards are CD-ROMs and computer games.

Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” rover toy will be sold for about $5 along with a model of the ship that got it to Mars and possibly an informative floppy disk as well.

“The toy rover should be available by the time (Pathfinder) lands,” on July 4, 1997, said designer Keith Hippely.