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MER Rover Artist Concept

MER rover

December 18, 2013

NASA's twin robot geologists, the Mars Exploration Rovers, will launch toward Mars in 2003 in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. The rovers will be targeted to sites that appear to have been affected by liquid water in the past. They will drive to various locations to perform on-site scientific investigations over the course of their 90-day missions. This mission is part of NASA's long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet.

Credits

NASA/JPL-Caltech

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The component images for this stereo, 360-degree panorama were taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity after the rover drove about 97 feet (29.5 meters) during t...
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The component images for this stereo, 360-degree panorama were taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity after the rover drove about 97 feet (29.5 meters) during the mission's 3,642nd Martian day, or sol (April 22, 2014).
Opportunity's Tracks Near Crater Rim Ridgeline (Stereo)
This panorama is the view NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity gained from the top of the "Cape Tribulation" segment of the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover reached this point three weeks be...
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This panorama is the view NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity gained from the top of the "Cape Tribulation" segment of the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover reached this point three weeks before the 11th anniversary of its January 2004 landing on Mars.
High Viewpoint for 11-Year-Old Rover Mission on Mars
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has extended its robotic arm for studying a light-toned rock target called "Athens" in this March 25, 2015, image from the rover's front hazard avoidance c...
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has extended its robotic arm for studying a light-toned rock target called "Athens" in this March 25, 2015, image from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera.
Mars Rover Opportunity Examines Bright 'Athens'
Details of the Gusev Crater designated landing site are added with topographic information and higher-resolution imaging from instruments on the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters.
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Details of the Gusev Crater designated landing site are added with topographic information and higher-resolution imaging from instruments on the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters.
Spirit's Landing Site: Gusev-overlays
Download a PDF of the 2013 - 2014 Mars Calendar.
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2013 - 2014 Mars Calendar
2013 - 2014 Mars Calendar
The nose cone of the rocket separates during the launch phase and the Mars Exploration Rover is sent on a seven-month journey to Mars.
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The nose cone of the rocket separates during the launch phase and the Mars Exploration Rover is sent on a seven-month journey to Mars.
Mars Exploration Rovers Rocket Fairings Artwork
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this view just after reaching the summit of "Cape Tribulation," on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, on Jan. 6, 2015, the 3,894th Martian day, ...
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this view just after reaching the summit of "Cape Tribulation," on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, on Jan. 6, 2015, the 3,894th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars.
Opportunity's View from Atop 'Cape Tribulation'
This Martian scene shows contrasting textures and colors of "Hinners Point," at the northern edge of "Marathon Valley," and swirling reddish zones on the valley floor to the left.
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This Martian scene shows contrasting textures and colors of "Hinners Point," at the northern edge of "Marathon Valley," and swirling reddish zones on the valley floor to the left.
'Hinners Point' Above Floor of 'Marathon Valley' on Mars
This false color image suggests that the plains beyond the small crater where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity now sits are littered with the same dark grey material found inside the crater i...
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This false color image suggests that the plains beyond the small crater where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity now sits are littered with the same dark grey material found inside the crater in the form of spherules or "blueberries."
Berries' Here, There, Everywhere
This collage shows the variety of soils found at landing sites on Mars.
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This collage shows the variety of soils found at landing sites on Mars.
A Sampling of Martian Soils
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this stereo view of a crater informally named "Freedom 7" shortly before the 50th anniversary of the first American in space: astronaut Alan Shepa...
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this stereo view of a crater informally named "Freedom 7" shortly before the 50th anniversary of the first American in space: astronaut Alan Shepard's flight in the Freedom 7 spacecraft.
Martian 'Freedom 7' Crater 50 Years After Freedom 7 Flight (Stereo)
Download a PDF of the Spirit Poster.
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Click to download: Spirit Poster
Spirit Poster
This stunning image mosaic of the "Columbia Hills" is the first 360-degree panorama taken by Spirit after arriving at the hills.
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This stunning image mosaic of the "Columbia Hills" is the first 360-degree panorama taken since the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit arrived at the hills over a month ago.
'Cahokia' Panorama
This view from NASA's Opportunity Mars rover shows part of "Marathon Valley," a destination on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, as seen from an overlook north of the valley. It was taken by the...
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This view from NASA's Opportunity Mars rover shows part of "Marathon Valley," a destination on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, as seen from an overlook north of the valley. It was taken by the rover's Pancam on March 13, 2015. This version is in approximate true color.
Mars 'Marathon Valley' Overlook
These side-by-side images were taken by the Pan Camera (Pancam) on NASA's Opportunity rover. They're actually the same image; the left version is how the image originally came down, due to data dro...
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These side-by-side images were taken by the Pan Camera on the Opportunity rover. They're actually the same image; the left version is how the image originally came down, due to data dropouts. The right shows the same image after processing all the data.
Artistic Pancam Frame
How can you communicate with Mars spacecraft when the Sun is in the way? Learn more about 'solar conjunction' in this 60-second video.
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Mars in a Minute: What Happens When the Sun Blocks our Signal?
Mars in a Minute: What Happens When the Sun Blocks our Signal?
Divide and conquer: combining 11 small sections of "Block Island" (the color map shows five of the sections).
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Divide and conquer: combining 11 small sections of "Block Island" (the color map shows five of the sections).
'Block Island' Color Map
Bekah Sosland was an eighth-grade student in Fredericksburg, Texas, when NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004.
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Bekah Sosland was an eighth-grade student in Fredericksburg, Texas, when NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004.
Mars Exploration Rover Team Member Bekah Sosland
Two spacecraft engineers stand with a group of vehicles providing a comparison of three generations of Mars rovers developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The setting is JPL...
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Two spacecraft engineers stand with a group of vehicles providing a comparison of three generations of Mars rovers developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The setting is JPL's Mars Yard testing area.
Three Generations of Rovers with Standing Engineers
John Callas, project manager for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers mission, makes the call ending the last formal session via NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) for the Opportunity rover at Mars on Feb. ...
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John Callas, project manager for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers mission, makes the call ending the last formal session via NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) for the Opportunity rover at Mars on Feb. 12, 2019.
Last Call to Opportunity
This is a zoomed in view on Spirit 's "Lookout" panorama on the drive up to the summit "Husband Hills."
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This is a zoomed in view on Spirit 's "Lookout" panorama on the drive up to the summit "Husband Hills."
Close-Up of 'Lookout' Panorama
NASA's InSight arrives at Vandenberg AFB and readies for launch, Opportunity uses its abrasion tool for the first time in 300 sols, and Curiosity celebrates 2,000 Martian days on the Red Planet.
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NASA's InSight arrives at Vandenberg AFB and readies for launch, Opportunity uses its abrasion tool for the first time in 300 sols, and Curiosity celebrates 2,000 Martian days on the Red Planet.
Mars Report: March 2018
Road trip! This compilation of images from hazard-avoidance cameras on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity between January 2004 and April 2015 shows the rover's-eye-view of the Martian marath...
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Rover's-Eye View of Marathon on Mars
Rover's-Eye View of Marathon on Mars
This global map of Mars shows a growing dust storm as of June 6, 2018. The map was produced by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
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This global map of Mars shows a growing dust storm as of June 6, 2018. The map was produced by the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
Dust Storm Covers Opportunity
This Aug. 15, 2014, scene from the Pancam on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looks back toward part of the west rim of Endeavour Crater that the rover drove along, heading southward, duri...
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This Aug. 15, 2014, scene from the Pancam on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looks back toward part of the west rim of Endeavour Crater that the rover drove along, heading southward, during the summer of 2014. This version is in false color, making the rover's wheel tracks more apparent.
Rover Tracks in Northward View Along West Rim of Endeavour, False Color

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