January 3, 2004

On January 3 2004, NASA landed Spirit, a six-wheeled robot, on Mars. Its identical twin, Opportunity, followed on January 24. The unmanned rovers, each weighing about 384 pounds, are robotic geologists. Their mission is to look for evidence of water. If found, it could suggest that the now dry and dusty Mars was once wet enough to support life.

Exploring Mars
Exploring Mars, created by a group of scientists from Jet Propulsion Lab and University of California at Los Angeles, is a great place to start for school reports (try Mars at a Glance) or browsing for the fun of it. The Mars Science section is outstanding, and the Mars History section is fascinating. “The Babylonians called Mars Nergal - the great hero, the king of conflicts.” Lots of photos and illustrations, and a good navigation system make this site work for all ages.

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[tags]nasa,space exploration,red planet,spirit rover,mars exploration,solar system[/tags]