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21-Dec-2004 Reading the Environment in the Sand
Read the article 'Reading the Environment in the Sand'
Camera images from Mars tell a story about wind.
Read More...
11-Oct-2004 Like Rover, Like Asteroid
Like Rover, Like Asteroid
Two asteroids now bear the names of NASA's two Mars rovers exploring the red planet. Read More...
August-2004 Mission Fantastic to Mars
Mission Fantastic to Mars
This is a five-part series covering the experiences of key participants in the Mars Exploration Rover mission.

Part 1 - August 10
Part 2 - August 16
Part 3 - August 26
Part 4 - August 31
Part 5 - September 06
09-Aug-2004 Endless Summer?
Read the article 'Endless Summer?'
Both Mars Exploration Rovers are fighters, beating the count a handful of times on Earth and on Mars. Having flown in the face of "old age" and impending demise, Spirit and Opportunity might also be able to resist the reduction of direct sunlight and Mother Nature's minions of martian winter clouds. Read More...
16-Jul-2004 About Face: Rover Engineers Change the Rules for Driving
About Face: Rover Engineers Change the Rules for Driving
With Spirit's right front wheel showing signs of age, engineers are finding creative ways to keep the rover moving. They're inventing a whole new rule book, such as driving forward in reverse and turning the wheels to go straight. Read More...
12-Jul-2004 To Mars and Back
To Mars and Back
Students Share the Excitement (and hard work) of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Read More...
09 Jul 2004 Masterminds of Scientific Art and Rover Movement on Mars
Masterminds of Scientific Art and Rover Movement on Mars
The inventors of digital camera technology bring you breathtaking pictures from space and keep the Mars rovers safe. Read More...
07 Jul 2004 Rover to Get Lube Job?
Rover to Get Lube Job?
As Spirit comes up on its 3,000-meter check-up, the rover may need a lube job to rejuvenate one of its wheels. Even so, the spacecraft's designers are thrilled that the rover has far exceeded its original warranty. Read More...
10 Jun 2004 Steep Grade Ahead: Can the Rover Make It?
Steep Grade Ahead: Can the Rover Make It?
At the edge of Endurance Crater, Opportunity was poised for the biggest challenge of its short existence: a drive down into Endurance Crater. Read More...
02 Jun 2004 What's in a Name? It Depends on Who's Doing the Naming
What's in a Name? It Depends on Who's Doing the Naming
Generically referring to features as "that crater," "this rock," or "these hills" could quickly become confusing. Read More...
15 Apr 2004 El Capitan and the Sweet Spots in Eagle Crater (Slideshow)
El Capitan and the Sweet Spots in Eagle Crater (Slideshow)
The rock outcrop along the edge of Eagle Crater where Opportunity landed provided a treasure trove of information for the science team. Read More...
15 Apr 2004 Thread-like Feature on Mars: Mystery Solved (Slideshow)
Thread-like Feature on Mars: Mystery Solved (Slideshow)
The rover team solves the mystery of the unidentified object pictured by the microscopic imager. Read More...
09 Mar 2004 Slip Sliding Away
Slip Sliding Away
On the slippery slopes of Opportunity Ledge, rover drivers and mobility experts have to outwit the rover's odometer to reach the precise science targets on Mars. Read More...
04 Mar 2004 Sheddings from Opportunity Lead Rover Fans on a "Bunny" Chase
Sheddings from Opportunity Lead Rover Fans on a 'Bunny' Chase
Are there bunnies on Mars? Read More...
24 Feb 2004 Tales in the Tracks
Tales in the Tracks
Rover wheels serve as additional "science instruments." Read More...
23-Feb-2004 Make Your Own Eye-Popping 3-D Pictures
Make Your Own Eye-Popping 3-D Pictures
Make Mars and other "vacation spots" come alive when you create 3-D images using a computer and photo-editing software. Read More...
08 Feb 2004 A Day in the Life of a Martian Scientist
A Day in the Life of a Martian Scientist
NASA's rover mission is filled with scientists and engineers who are altering their natural circadian rhythms to live on Mars time and sacrificing their dining desires, sleep, and homes to work together as a team in Pasadena, California. Read More...
28 Jan 2004 Revealing Mars' True Colors: Part Two
Revealing Mars' True Colors: Part Two
When Spirit sends pictures back from Mars, they aren't finished products. Each pixel in the image is coded in zeros and ones, which are later translated into pixel color and brightness. Read More...
28 Jan 2004 Revealing Mars' True Colors: Part One
Revealing Mars' True Colors: Part One
Scientists and engineers have worked hard to provide us with a human-like view of Mars, because Spirit sees things much differently from her robot perspective. Read More...
23-Jan-2004 Hematite
grey hematite rock
The Opportunity rover lands on Mars Saturday, January 24, 2004, in an area rich with grey hematite. To find out what helped produce the hematite - water or volcanic activity - they'll be examining both the form of the hematite and the company it is keeping. Read More...
20 Jan 2004 The Sky Is The Limit
The Sky Is The Limit
Believe it or not, some of the scientists on the Mars Exploration Rover Science team don't really care too much about rocks - or for that matter anything on the surface of Mars. They have "higher" ambitions. Read More...
13 Jan 2004 From Robot Geologists to Human Geologists on Mars
From Robot Geologists to Human Geologists on Mars
Humans going to Mars in the future will depend on what we learn from our current robotic missions to create the right spacesuits, habitats, and roving vehicles humans will someday drive on Mars. Read More...
11 Jan 2004 Anniversary Party for Odyssey at Mars
From Robot Geologists to Human Geologists on Mars
While Spirit's success is on the front page, Odyssey quietly celebrates its anniversary - a full martian year in science orbit. Read More...
10 Jan 2004 Scientists Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
Scientists Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
Landscapes that look familiar at first glance can have surprising geologic histories, so scientists are patiently searching for the right clues that will lead them to understand the processes that formed Spirit's landing site, Gusev Crater. Read More...
09 Jan 2004 A Standing Ovation For Spirit's Stand-up
A Standing Ovation For Spirit's Stand-up
Imagine your delight at deplaning after a six-month-long flight in a packed coach cabin. After a lengthy, seriously confined journey, Spirit, too, got some relief by stretching her legs. Read More...
08 Jan 2004 Watchmaker With Time to Lose
Watchmaker With Time to Lose
Most people would be irritated by a watch that loses 39 minutes a day - not so for the members of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. Watchmaker Garo Anserlian is helping them slow down time. Read More...
05 Jan 2004 How Do Scientists and Engineers Find Spirit?
How Do Scientists and Engineers Find Spirit?
Like working a jigsaw puzzle, scientists and engineers piece together data to uncover Spirit's location. Read More...
04-Jan-2004 How Did Navigators Hit Their Precise Landing Target on Mars?
How Did Navigators Hit Their Precise Landing Target on Mars?
To land in a precise location on Mars after traveling over 300 million miles, navigators at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had to overcome the head-spinning challenges of calculating the exact speeds of a rotating Earth, a rotating Mars, and a rotating spacecraft, while they all simultaneously are spinning in their own radical orbits around the Sun. Read More...
03-Jan-2004 Mission Control: Who's at the Helm?
Mission Control: Who's at the Helm?
On Saturday night, January 3, the Mission Support Area (otherwise known as "mission control") at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be filled, with every seat at every station occupied by members of the Mars Exploration Rover team. Everyone will be holding a collective breath in anticipation of a safe landing. Read More...
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