A Boeing Delta 2 rocket carrying the first MER spacecraft, named Spirit, lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 10, 2003.
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Image courtesy NASA.
Mars Exploration Rovers Launched
News story originally written on July 10, 2003
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.
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