Newsday.com - NASA's Mars Rover Landing in Toy Stores: "
In 1999, Mattel Inc. produced a Hot Wheels 'Action Pack' featuring models of NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter, Polar Lander and twin Deep Space 2 microprobe spacecraft.

Just weeks after Mattel's $5 set went on sale, all four spacecraft were lost.

Mattel never aggressively marketed the toys, at least one of which later appeared on online auction site eBay advertised as a NASA 'Crash Pack,' said Alice Wessen, manager of JPL's technology outreach office.

JPL contacted Mattel to gauge interest in making a martian rover toy for this mission.

The company never replied, Wessen said. "
- posted by Sophont @ Saturday, January 24, 2004