Mars Exploration Rovers (MER), Spirit and Opportunity

• The two Mars Exploration Rovers launched June and July 2003:
  • the first launch occurred June 10, 2003 (UTC)
  • the second launch occurred July 8, 2003 (UTC)

• The first rover, Spirit, landed in Gusev Crater on January 4, 2004 (UTC), January 3, 2004 (PST).

• The second rover, Opportunity, landed on Meridiani Planum on January 25, 2004 (UTC), January 24, 2004 (PST)

• MSSS Connections: (1) The Mars Relay system, which returned data through the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera, relayed the critical Entry, Descent, and Landing data from the MERs to Earth; (2) the Mars Relay system also returned engineering and science data from the MER rovers; (3) MSSS President, Michael C. Malin, is a MER science Co-Investigator; and (4) in 2005, MSSS mission operations staff participated in some MER Pancam operations activities.

• MSSS Mars Exploration Rover web page

• Athena Home Page at Cornell University

• MARS MISSION WEB PAGE at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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