Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet
- Public Event
In January of 2004, twin robotic explorers named Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars. Expected to last for 90 days, their mission went on for more than fourteen years. Its objective was to search for evidence of past water on Mars, and to determine if Mars ever had conditions that would have been suitable for life.
To develop Spirit and Opportunity, a team of more than 4,000 highly motivated engineers and scientists overcame a host of technical challenges. The talk will provide a summary of the missions of Spirit and Opportunity, from their initial conception through their development, launch, landing, and operations on the surface of Mars.
This is a free lecture; no tickets or reservations are required.
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This vista from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows "Wdowiak Ridge," from left foreground to center, as part of a northward look with the rover's tracks visible at right.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.
