A rocket carrying Spirit blasts off from Florida on June 10, 2003.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy NASA.

Mars Exploration Rovers Blast Off
News story originally written on July 10, 2003

Two robots are going to Mars. The robots are six-wheeled vehicles that will explore Mars. They are called the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Rockets carrying MER blasted off from Florida.

MER will study rocks on Mars. They will try to find rocks that formed when water was around.

Each rover has a name. One is called Spirit. The other is named Opportunity. Spirit blasted off on June 10, 2003. Opportunity blasted off July 7, 2003. It will take Spirit and Opportunity six months to get to Mars. They will land on Mars in January 2004.

Last modified July 8, 2003 by Randy Russell.

You might also be interested in:

Science, Evolution, and Creationism

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable....more

What will happen when on the MER missions?

Both Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) were launched from Florida in the summer of 2003. The first, Spirit, blasted off on June 10. The second, Opportunity, blasted off on July 7. Each spacecraft spent about...more

Pioneer 10 falls silent

Pioneer 10 is a spacecraft that left Earth more than 30 years ago. It was supposed to work for about 2 years, but it lasted a lot longer than that! Scientists tried to contact Pioneer 10 on February 7,...more

Mars Exploration Rovers Blast Off

Two robots are going to Mars. The robots are six-wheeled vehicles that will explore Mars. They are called the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Rockets carrying MER blasted off from Florida. MER will study...more

1998--The Year in Review...

1998 was a very full year when it came to space exploration and history making. In the blast-from-the-past department, John Glenn received another go for a launch aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. After...more

Windows Team Discovers Twelve Stars!

Windows Scientists found twelve new stars! No, not really! But they did create twelve new pages about some of the brightest stars in the night sky. Some of the constellations are Leo, Ursa Major and Virgo....more

A Letter Home from Mir

The following is Andy Thomas's last letter to those on Earth. The subject -- a view from space...As I have orbited around the Earth, I have spoken to many amateur radio operators as well as television...more

Memorial Service for Alan Shepard August 1st.

A memorial service in honor of Alan Shepard is scheduled for August 1st in Houston, Texas. Shepard died Tuesday, July 21, at the age of 74. Shepard was the first American to fly in space, and the fifth...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA