Anatomy of a Mars Rover
- By Lexi Krock
- Posted 11.01.08
- NOVA
In January 2004, Spirit and Opportunity, two identical robotic rovers, entered the martian atmosphere after a seven-month journey from Earth. The twin rovers made one intriguing discovery after another, and they far outlasted their proposed lifespans. Here, examine this hardy pair of robotic geologists and their sophisticated scientific instruments.
Examine the robotic geologists Spirit and Opportunity and their suite of scientific instruments.
Credits
Images
- (illustrations)
- © Cornell University/NASA/JPL and Dan Maas
Related Links
-
Ultimate Mars Challenge
In its search for life beyond Earth, NASA employs a "sky crane" maneuver to land the Curiosity rover on Mars.
-
Is There Life on Mars?
The decades-long search for life on the Red Planet heats up with the discovery of frozen water.
-
Can We Make It to Mars?
See new space suits, foods, and rockets that may support future Mars-bound astronauts, and meet a Mars rover driver.
-
Space Kids
Engineers who landed the Curiosity rover on Mars recall their early love of space.
You need the Flash Player plug-in to view this content.