Mars Exploration Rovers Launched
News story originally written on July 10, 2003

A Boeing Delta 2 rocket carrying the first MER spacecraft, named Spirit, lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 10, 2003. Click on image for full size (31K JPEG ) Image courtesy NASA.

The Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission is now underway. Twin robotic vehicles bound for Mars were successfully launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The rovers, which will explore the geology of Mars in search of signs of water, are scheduled to land on Mars in January 2004.

The first MER spacecraft, named Spirit, blasted off on June 10, 2003. It is slated to land within Gusev Crater on Mars. The second MER, called Opportunity, lifted off July 7, 2003. It will explore the Meridiani Planum region of The Red Planet. Both spacecraft rode into space atop Boeing Delta II launch vehicles.

A Boeing Delta 2 rocket carrying Spirit blasts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 10, 2003. Click on image for full size (31K JPEG) Image courtesy NASA.

The Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) are on their way to Mars. MER are two robotic rover vehicles that will explore the Red Planet. Spacecraft carrying MER blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The rovers will explore the geology of Mars, in search of signs of water. MER will search for types of rocks that form when water is around. If everything goes well, the two spacecraft will land on Mars in January 2004.

The two rovers are named Spirit and Opportunity. Spirit blasted off on June 10, 2003. Opportunity was launched on July 7, 2003. Delta II rockets made by Boeing boosted the robots into space. It will take the spacecraft about six months to get to Mars.

A rocket carrying Spirit blasts off from Florida on June 10, 2003. Click on image for full size (31K JPEG) Image courtesy NASA.

Two robots are going to Mars. The robots are six-wheeled vehicles that will explore Mars. They are called the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Rockets carrying MER blasted off from Florida.

MER will study rocks on Mars. They will try to find rocks that formed when water was around.

Each rover has a name. One is called Spirit. The other is named Opportunity. Spirit blasted off on June 10, 2003. Opportunity blasted off July 7, 2003. It will take Spirit and Opportunity six months to get to Mars. They will land on Mars in January 2004.