Search Results: All Fields similar to 'Mars and Rover'

Printer Friendly
1 2 3 425 26
1-100 of 2,538
     
     
Hot New Rover Wheels!
NASA's next rover to Mars, u …
07/13/10
Description NASA's next rover to Mars, under construction at JPL, turns its new set of wheels.
Date 07/13/10
Opportunity Rover Weathers t …
Mars Exploration Rover, Oppo …
7/23/07
Mars Exploration Rover Turn …
Mars Exploration Rover Incli …
Mars Exploration Rover terra …
Mars Exploration Rover Navig …
NASA's Mars Rover Braves Sev …
A series of severe Martian s …
7/20/07
3 Years on Mars: Spirit
Overview of Mars Exploration …
1/4/07
3 Years on Mars: Opportunity
Overview of Mars Exploration …
1/24/07
As Martian Skies Brighten, R …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
Red rover Goes To Mars-Stude …
A brief compilation of b-rol …
1/8/04
Mars Exploration Rover Launc …
Edited raw footage compilati …
8/15/03
On Mars: A Mars Exploration …
This update recognizes Spiri …
1/22/08
NASA Connect - PSA - Rover a …
NASA Connect Segment explori …
1/22/04
Description NASA Connect Segment exploring the different types of robots. It also explores robots such as the Mars Rover that scientists at NASA use to explore beyond the Earth.
Date 1/22/04
MER Spirit Stand Up Compilat …
MER Team reacts to confirmat …
1/10/04
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL …
NASA has selected the scient …
11/22/04
Martian Moons Transit the Su …
The upper-left of these imag …
6/9/08
Description The upper-left of these images shows the passing, or transit, of the Martian moon Deimos across the sun. This event is similar to solar eclipses seen from Earth in which our moon crosses in front of the sun. The bottom three images show Phobos, Mars's other moon, transiting the sun. The potato-shaped Phobos is roughly 15 miles across, about twice the size of Deimos. Deimos appears so much smaller because it is also a bit more than twice as far away from Mars as Phobos is. The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took images of both moons on different days in March 2004. Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
Date 6/9/08
Vice President Dick Cheney V …
Vice President Dick Cheney a …
1/14/04
Hematite Animation of Meridi …
Animated flyover of the Meri …
1/22/04
MER Entry, Descent & Landing …
Brief highlights of testing …
5/20/03
Spirit Ascent Movie, Rover's …
PIA04423
Sol (our sun)
Hazard-identification Camera
Title Spirit Ascent Movie, Rover's-Eye View
Original Caption Released with Image A movie assembled from frames taken by the rear hazard-identification camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the last few days of the rover's ascent to the crest of "Husband Hill" inside Mars' Gusev Crater. The rover was going in reverse. Rover planners often drive Spirit backwards to keep wheel lubrication well distributed. The images in this clip span a timeframe from Spirit's 573rd martian day, or sol (Aug, 13, 2005) to sol 582 (Aug. 22, 2005), the day after the rover reached the crest. During that period, Spirit drove 136 meters (446 feet),
Rover Pre-Turn
PIA05050
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Rover Pre-Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit before the rover begins a crucial 3-point turn to face in a west direction and roll off the lander.
Spirit's Robotic Stretch
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
10/22/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this forward view of its arm and surroundings during the rover's 2,052nd Martian day, or sol, on Oct. 11, 2009. Bright soil in the left half of the image is loose, fluffy material churned by the rover's left-front wheel as Spirit, driving backwards, approached its current position in April 2009 and the wheel broke through a darker, crusty surface. Spirit used its front hazard-avoidance camera to take this image. The turret of tools at the end of the rover's robotic arm is positioned with the Moessbauer spectrometer up and the rock abrasion tool extending toward the right. Spirit's right-front wheel, visible in this image, has not worked since 2006. It is the least-embedded of the rover's six wheels at the current location, called "Troy." Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, have been working on Mars for more than 58 months in what were originally planned as 3-month missions on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 10/22/09
Mars 2003 Rover
This artist's rendering show …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This artist's rendering shows a side view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off on its exploration of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004 with an airbag-shielded landing shell. The Mars 2003 Rover will carry five scientific instruments and a rock abrading tool. The instruments include a Panoramic Camera and a Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, both on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. A Mossbauer Spectrometer, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer, and a Microscopic Imager are located on a robotic arm that is tucked under the front of the rover, as is a Rock Abrasion Tool that will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks to determine the nature of rock interiors. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. #####
NASA's Mars Team Teaches Old …
Animated route of Spirit's e …
1/2/07
Spirit's Destination (panora …
PIA05591
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title Spirit's Destination (panorama)
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for Spirit's Destination (panorama) (QTVR) This panoramic image mosaic from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit panoramic camera, shows the rover's destination toward the hills nicknamed the "Columbia Hills," on the right. The rover's heatshield can be seen on the left as a tiny bright dot in the distance, just under the horizon. Dark drift material can be seen in the image center. The rover is currently positioned outside the view of this image, on the right. This image was taken on sols 68 and 69 of Spirit's mission (March 12 and 13, 2004) from the location the rover first reached on the western rim of the crater. The image is in approximate true color, based on a scaling of data from the red, green and blue (750 nanometers, 530 nanometers, and 480 nanometers) filters.
Testing Spirit on Five Wheel …
PIA06685
Title Testing Spirit on Five Wheels
Original Caption Released with Image This picture shows a model of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit being tested for performance on five wheels at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Spirit's right front wheel, now operating at six times its design life, has been showing signs of age, so rover planners devised a creative approach to keep the rover moving. They will drive Spirit backwards on five wheels, engaging the sixth wheel only sparingly to ensure its availability for tougher terrain. Tests performed at JPL allowed the rover planners to come up with this roundabout solution, and to develop commands that will help the five-wheeled rover steer.
MRPS #80811 (Sol 1) Pathfind …
This is one of the first pic …
7/4/97
Date 7/4/97
Description This is one of the first pictures taken by the camera on the Mars Pathfinder lander shortly after its touchdown at 10:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time on July 4, 1997. The small rover, named Sojourner, is seen in the foreground in its position on a solar panel of the lander. The white material on either side of the rover is part of the deflated airbag system used to absorb the shock of the landing. Between the rover and the horizon is the rock-strewn martian surface. Two hills are seen in the right distance, profiled against the light brown sky. Pathfinder, a low-cost Discovery mission, is the first of a new fleet of spacecraft that are planned to explore Mars over the next ten years. Mars Global Surveyor, already en route, arrives at Mars on September 11 to begin a two year orbital reconnaissance of the planet's composition, topography, and climate. Additional orbiters and landers will follow every 26 months. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. #####
Spirit Rover on 'Husband Hil …
title Spirit Rover on 'Husband Hill'
Description Two Earth years ago, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit touched down in Gusev Crater. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth days) anniversary in November 2005. Shortly before Spirit's Martian anniversary, the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired an image covering approximately 3 kilometers by 3 kilometers (1.9 miles by 1.9 miles) centered on the rover's location at that time in the "Columbia Hills.""Husband Hill," the tallest in the range, is just below the center of the image. The image has a resolution of about 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) per pixel. North is up, illumination is from the left. The location is near 14.8 degrees south latitude, 184.6 degrees west longitude. The image was acquired on Nov. 2, 2005. A white box indicates the location of an excerpted portion on which the location of Spirit on that date is marked. Dr. Timothy J. Parker of the Mars Exploration Rover team at the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., confirmed the location of the rover in the image. The region toward the bottom of the image shows the area where the rover is currently headed. The large dark patch and other similar dark patches are accumulations of windblown sand and granules. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Skirting an Obstacle
This view from the navigatio …
11/12/09
Description This view from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows tracks left by backing out of a wind-formed ripple after the rover's wheels had started to dig too deeply into the dust and sand of the ripple. The frames combined into this view were taken on the 1,867th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's mission on Mars (April 25, 2009). The scene spans 120 degrees, from southeastward on the left to westward on the right. Two sols earlier, Opportunity drove 310 feet south-southwestward before stopping when the rover detected that its wheels were slipping more than the limit that engineers had set for the drive. That Sol 1865 (April 23, 2009) drive created the tracks that enter this scene from the left and ended with wheels on the left side of the rover partially embedded in the ripple. On Sol 1866, Opportunity began to back away from this potential trap, but moved only about 11 inches. On Sol 1867, the rover backed up 12 feet before taking this picture. Subsequently, Opportunity proceeded on a path avoiding the ripple where the wheel slippage occurred. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about about 40 inches). This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 11/12/09
Mars Exploration Rover 1
PIA04834
Title Mars Exploration Rover 1
Original Caption Released with Image February 10, 2003 Engineers for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission are completing assembly and testing for the twin robotic geologists at JPL. This week the twin rovers are sharing floor space in JPL's Spacecraft Assembly Facility for the last time before they are shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This image shows Mars Exploration Rover 1, fully assembled. The rovers will be launched separately in May and June.
Airbag Trail Dubbed "Magic C …
PIA05048
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title Airbag Trail Dubbed "Magic Carpet
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for Airbag Trail Dubbed "Magic Carpet" (QTVR) This section of the first color image from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been further processed to produce a sharper look at a trail left by the one of rover's airbags. The drag mark was made after the rover landed and its airbags were deflated and retracted. Scientists have dubbed the region the "Magic Carpet" after a crumpled portion of the soil that appears to have been peeled away (lower left side of the drag mark). Rocks were also dragged by the airbags, leaving impressions and "bow waves" in the soil. The mission team plans to drive the rover over to this site to look for additional clues about the composition of the martian soil. This image was taken by Spirit's panoramic camera. This extreme close-up image (see insets above) highlights the martian feature that scientists have named "Magic Carpet" because of its resemblance to a crumpled carpet fold. Scientists think the soil here may have detached from its underlying layer, possibly due to interaction with the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's airbag after landing. This image was taken on Mars by the rover's panoramic camera.
Mars 2003 Rover
This is a close-up view of t …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This is a close-up view of the arm on NASA's Mars 2003 Rover that contains several of the scientific instruments. The Microscopic Imager is being extended toward the rock, the Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is pointing back toward the rover body, the Mossbauer spectrometer is pointing away from the viewer (i.e., toward the rover's left front wheel), and the Rock Abrasion Tool is pointing toward the viewer. The rover is set for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004. JPL will manage the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload.
Spirit's View Beside 'Home P …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
4/16/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings...
Date 4/16/09
A rover wheel in soil - colo …
PIA00645
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title A rover wheel in soil - color
Original Caption Released with Image The image was taken by a camera aboard the Sojourner rover on Sol 4. A rover wheel is at center, and tracks are visible in the soil at top where the cleated wheel passed over the surface. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Rover wheel & tracks - color
PIA00671
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title Rover wheel & tracks - color
Original Caption Released with Image This view from the Sojourner rover's rear color camera shows wheel tracks in the orange-red martian soil. One of the rover's cleated wheels is visible at left. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Mars Exploration Rover 2
PIA04835
Title Mars Exploration Rover 2
Original Caption Released with Image February 10, 2003 Engineers for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission are completing assembly and testing for the twin robotic geologists at JPL. This week the twin rovers are sharing floor space in JPL's Spacecraft Assembly Facility for the last time before they are shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the image above, engineers are installing the rover's solar panels. The rovers will be launched separately in May and June.
'Fram' in Color
PIA05990
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title 'Fram' in Color
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for 'Fram' in Color (QTVR) This view in approximately true color reveals details in an impact crater informally named "Fram" in the Meridian Planum region of Mars. The picture is a mosaic of frames taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity during the rover's 88th martian day on Mars, on April 23, 2004. The crater spans about 8 meters (26 feet) in diameter. Opportunity paused beside it while traveling from the rover's landing site toward a larger crater farther east. This view combines images taken using three of the camera's filters for different wavelengths of light: 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers and 430 nanometers.
'Fram' in Color
PIA05990
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title 'Fram' in Color
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for 'Fram' in Color (QTVR) This view in approximately true color reveals details in an impact crater informally named "Fram" in the Meridian Planum region of Mars. The picture is a mosaic of frames taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity during the rover's 88th martian day on Mars, on April 23, 2004. The crater spans about 8 meters (26 feet) in diameter. Opportunity paused beside it while traveling from the rover's landing site toward a larger crater farther east. This view combines images taken using three of the camera's filters for different wavelengths of light: 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers and 430 nanometers.
Spirit's View of Mars
title Spirit's View of Mars
date 01.03.2004
description Only hours after landing, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit sent back its first black and white images of Mars. This mosaic image taken by Spirit's navigation has been further processed, significantly improving the 360 degree panoramic view of the rover on the surface of Mars. See more images in the Mars Exploration Rover Image Gallery. *Image Credit*: NASA
Dragging Its Foot
PIA05304
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera …
Title Dragging Its Foot
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows a bird's-eye view of the crater occupied by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. A portion of the lander can be seen to the bottom left of the image's circular center. Bounce marks can be seen below and to the top left of the center. The rock outcrop containing many of the rover's rock targets runs from the top right of the image to the left of the image. The rover, which cannot be seen in the image, is located in the southwest quadrant, just left of the lander. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 1 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Traverse Map This composite image (Figure 1) maps the areas traveled by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Dotted lines represent areas the rover has already traveled. Solid lines represent areas still on the rover's travel agenda. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 2 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Future Traverse Map This composite image maps a future travel itinerary for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The rover is currently located at the trench site toward the bottom left of the image. It has already been to the location named "Stone Mountain." Controllers plan to investigate the other labeled areas on the rock outcrop. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide.
Dragging Its Foot
PIA05304
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera …
Title Dragging Its Foot
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows a bird's-eye view of the crater occupied by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. A portion of the lander can be seen to the bottom left of the image's circular center. Bounce marks can be seen below and to the top left of the center. The rock outcrop containing many of the rover's rock targets runs from the top right of the image to the left of the image. The rover, which cannot be seen in the image, is located in the southwest quadrant, just left of the lander. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 1 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Traverse Map This composite image (Figure 1) maps the areas traveled by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Dotted lines represent areas the rover has already traveled. Solid lines represent areas still on the rover's travel agenda. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 2 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Future Traverse Map This composite image maps a future travel itinerary for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The rover is currently located at the trench site toward the bottom left of the image. It has already been to the location named "Stone Mountain." Controllers plan to investigate the other labeled areas on the rock outcrop. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide.
Dragging Its Foot
PIA05304
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera …
Title Dragging Its Foot
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image shows a bird's-eye view of the crater occupied by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. A portion of the lander can be seen to the bottom left of the image's circular center. Bounce marks can be seen below and to the top left of the center. The rock outcrop containing many of the rover's rock targets runs from the top right of the image to the left of the image. The rover, which cannot be seen in the image, is located in the southwest quadrant, just left of the lander. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 1 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Traverse Map This composite image (Figure 1) maps the areas traveled by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Dotted lines represent areas the rover has already traveled. Solid lines represent areas still on the rover's travel agenda. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide. Figure 2 (Click on image for larger view) Opportunity Future Traverse Map This composite image maps a future travel itinerary for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The rover is currently located at the trench site toward the bottom left of the image. It has already been to the location named "Stone Mountain." Controllers plan to investigate the other labeled areas on the rock outcrop. Data depicting the inside of the crater wall is from the rover's panoramic camera. Data depicting the outside of the crater wall is from the camera on the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. The top of the image faces north, and the image area measures approximately 22 meters (72 feet) wide.
MRPS #80839 (Sol 2) Color mo …
The Sojourner rover and unde …
7/5/97
Date 7/5/97
Description The Sojourner rover and undeployed ramps onboard the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft can be seen in in this image, by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on July 4 (Sol 1). This image has been corrected for the curvature created by parallax. The microrover Sojourner is latched to the petal, and has not yet been deployed. The ramps are a pair of deployable metal reels which will provide a track for the rover as it slowly rolls off the lander, over the spacecraft's deflated airbags, and onto the surface of Mars. Pathfinder scientists will use this image to determine whether it is safe to deploy the ramps. One or both of the ramps will be unfurled, and then scientists will decide whether the rover will use either the forward or backward ramp for its descent. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low- cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. #####
Rover Camera Mosaic of Lande …
PIA00903
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title Rover Camera Mosaic of Lander & Wedge
Original Caption Released with Image This mosaic of the Mars Pathfinder lander and Martian terrain was taken by the front camera on the Sojourner rover on Sol 39. The rover, positioned near the rock "Wedge" at left, has imaged the letters "JPL" and the American flag mounted on the side of the lander's electronics box. A large spread of deflated airbags are strewn around the lander's periphery, and the large rock Yogi, studied earlier in the mission by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer instrument, lies behind the airbags in the background. The front rover deployment ramp is at right, while the Imager for Mars Pathfinder mounted on its mast stands high at the top of the lander's electronics box. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Mars Rover Panorama Shows Vi …
title Mars Rover Panorama Shows Vista From 'Lookout' Point
date 04.29.2005
description From a ridgeline vantage point overlooking slopes, valleys and plains, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has returned its latest color panorama of the martian landscape. The approximately true color image shows a full 360-degree view from a site informally named "Larry's Lookout," about halfway up "Husband Hill." Dr. Jim Bell of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., lead scientist for the panoramic cameras on both the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, said, "Spirit and the rover team worked hard over many weeks to get to this vantage point along the flanks of Husband Hill.  The rugged ridge and valley terrain seen here is similar in some respects to the view seen months earlier at the 'West Spur,' but the chemistry and mineralogy here are significantly different. Specifically, some of the areas seen here amid the outcrop rocks and in places where the subsurface was exposed by the rover wheels contain the highest sulfur abundances ever measured by Spirit." The view includes the summit of Husband Hill about 200 meters (about 660 feet) southward and about 45 meters (about 150 feet) higher. As Spirit continues uphill, scientists are looking for evidence about whether the intensity of water- related alteration increases with elevation or whether there are pockets of more heavily altered rocks and soils scattered throughout the hills. Spirit's panoramic camera took more than 300 individual frames between Feb. 27 and March 2 that are combined into the big picture. Downloading the frames to Earth took several weeks, and processing took additional time. Imaging specialists at Cornell and at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., calibrated the color and assembled the image. Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, successfully completed three-month primary missions a year ago.  In extended missions since then, they have been exploring at increasing distances from their landing sites. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages NASA's Mars Exploration Rover project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Spirit's "Lookout" panorama is also available online at http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/mer_main.html [ http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/mer_main.html ]and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] .
Flexible Canopy Test
Glenn engineer Christine Pas …
2/13/09
Description Glenn engineer Christine Pastor is showing an unpacked flexible canopy beside its packed counterpart in NASA Glenn's 10x10 Super Sonic Wind Tunnel. The Flexible Canopy is a scale model of the parachute that will decelerate the Mars Science Laboratory in the upper Martian atmosphere. The Mars Science Laboratory is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, able to support microbial life. It will carry the biggest, most advanced suite of instruments for scientific studies ever sent to the Martian surface. The rover is scheduled to launch in 2011. Photographer: Marvin Smith (WYLE)
Date 2/13/09
Mars 2003 Rover
This artist's rendering show …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This artist's rendering shows a view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off roam the surface of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive in January 2004, shielded in its landing by an airbag shell. The airbag/lander structure, which has no scientific instruments of its own, is shown to the right in this image, behind the rover. The rover will carry five scientific instruments and rock abrading device. The Panoramic Camera and the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer are located on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. The camera will be supplied by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the spectrometer will be supplied by Arizona State University in Tempe. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. The Rock Abrasion Tool is located on a robotic arm that can be deployed to study rocks and soil.(In this view, the robotic arm is tucked under the front of the rover.) The tool, provided by Honeybee Robotics Ltd., New York, N.Y., will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks, which may be dusty and weathered, allowing the science instruments to determine the nature of rock interiors. The three instruments that will study the abraded rocks are a Mossbauer Spectrometer, provided by the Johannes Gutenberg- University Mainz, Germany, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer provided by Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, also in Mainz, Germany, and a Microscopic Imager, supplied by JPL. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. In a landing similar to that of the 1997 Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, a parachute will deploy to slow the spacecraft down and airbags will inflate to cushion the landing. Petals of the landing structure will unfold to release the rover, which will drive off to begin its exploration. JPL manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. #####
Mars Exploration Rover
PIA04821
Title Mars Exploration Rover
Original Caption Released with Image One of two Mars Exploration Rovers sits inside its cruise stage waiting to undergo environmental testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this photo, engineers are preparing the rover for vibration testing to ensure that it can undergo the rigors of launch and entry into the martian atmosphere. The rovers are scheduled to launch next spring and will arrive at Mars in January 2004.
Mars in Full View
PIA05049
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title Mars in Full View
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for Mars in Full View (QTVR) This is a medium-resolution version of the first 360-degree panoramic view of the martian surface, taken on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's panoramic camera. Part of the spacecraft can be seen in the lower corner regions. (A higher-resolution image will be made available once it has been processed.)
Spirit Rises to the Occasion …
PIA05031
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Rises to the Occasion (Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image This animation strings together images from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera taken during the stand-up process of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The first frame shows the rover's wheels tucked under in pre-stand-up position. The following frames show the stages of the stand-up process. The rover first elevates itself and unfolds the wheels. It then lowers, lifts and lowers again into its final position. Note the changing camera perspectives of the martian landscape, indicating the rover's heightened and lowered positions.
Cutting the Cord-2
PIA05052
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Cutting the Cord-2
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the rear hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting from the front lander petal. Before this crucial turn took place, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander. The turn took around 30 minutes to complete.
Cutting the Cord
PIA05051
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Cutting the Cord
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting off the front lander petal. Before this crucial turn could take place, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander. The turn took around 30 minutes to complete.
Continuing the Turn
PIA05068
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Continuing the Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 95 degrees clockwise. This maneuver shows the first and second steps in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west (the first step previously shown in PIA05051 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05051 ]). The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting off the front lander petal. Before starting this maneuver, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander.
Continuing the Turn-2
PIA05088
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Continuing the Turn-2
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the rear hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 95 degrees clockwise. This maneuver shows the first and second steps in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west (the first step previously shown in PIA05052 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05052 ]) . The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting from the front lander petal. Before starting this maneuver, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander.
Rover Family Portrait
title Rover Family Portrait
date 12.05.2002
description Marie Curie, the backup for the 1997 Mars Sojourner rover, sits next to a next-generation Mars Exploration Rover in this December 2002 photo. Sojourner went to Mars as part of the Pathfinder mission, which laid the groundwork for the more advanced Mars Exploration Rovers. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Cape Verde, Mars
This Mars Exploration Rover …
4/1/08
Description This Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Pancam "super resolution" mosaic of the approximately 6 meter (20 foot) high cliff face of the Cape Verde promontory was taken by the rover from inside Victoria Crater, during the rover's descent into Duck Bay. Super-resolution is an imaging technique that utilizes information from multiple pictures of the same target in order to generate an image with a higher resolution than any of the individual images. Cape Verde is a geologically rich outcrop and is teaching scientists about how rocks at Victoria crater were modified since they were deposited long ago. This image complements super resolution mosaics obtained at Cape St. Mary and Cape St. Vincent and is consistent with the hypothesis that Victoria crater is located in the middle of what used to be an ancient sand dune field. This image was acquired on sols 1342 and 1356 (Nov. 2 and 17, 2007). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University
Date 4/1/08
Rock Garden
This image of a cluster of r …
01/04/10
Description This image of a cluster of rocks labeled 'Rock Garden' is where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit became embedded in April 2009. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers landed on the Red Planet in January 2004 for what was to be a 90-day mission, but which has lasted 6 Earth years, or 3.2 Mars years. During this time, Spirit has found evidence of a steamy and violent environment on ancient Mars that is quite different from the wet and acidic past documented by Opportunity, which has been operating successfully as it explores halfway around the planet. Spirit used its navigation camera to capture this view of the terrain toward the southeast from the location it reached on the 1,870th Martian day, or sol, on April 7, 2009. Wheels on the western side of the rover broke through the dark, crusty surface into bright, loose, sandy material that was not visible as the rover approached the site. Spirit became stuck in an area near the left of the image's center later in April. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 01/04/10
In the Far East
PIA05061
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title In the Far East
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for In the Far East (QTVR) In the distance stand the east hills, which are closest to the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in comparison to other hill ranges seen on the martian horizon. The top of the east hills are approximately 2 to 3 kilometers (1 to 2 miles) away from the rover's approximate location. This image was taken on Mars by the rover's panoramic camera.
Size Comparison, Mars Scienc …
title Size Comparison, Mars Science Laboratory and Mars Exploration Rover
description An artist's concept of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (left) serves to compare it with Spirit, one of NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers. Mars Science Laboratory is in development for a launch opportunity in 2009, a landing on Mars in 2010 and investigation of that planet's past or present ability to sustain microbial life. The images of Spirit and the more advanced rover are both superimposed by special effects on a scene from Mars'"Columbia Hills," photographed by Spirit's panoramic camera on April 13, 2005, and presented here in false color (see Next Stop: Methuselah [PIA07855]). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mars Exploration Rover Makes …
PIA04820
Title Mars Exploration Rover Makes Progress
Original Caption Released with Image One of two Mars Exploration Rovers sits inside its cruise stage waiting to undergo environmental testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this photo, engineers are preparing the rover for vibration testing to ensure that it can undergo the rigors of launch and entry into the martian atmosphere. The rovers are scheduled to launch next spring and will arrive at Mars in January 2004.
Artist's Concept of Rover on …
PIA04413
Title Artist's Concept of Rover on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image An artist's concept portrays a NASA Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars. Two rovers have been built for 2003 launches and January 2004 arrival at two sites on Mars. Each rover has the mobility and toolkit to function as a robotic geologist.
Rover Tracks on Mars
title Rover Tracks on Mars
description New imaging techniques enabled Mars Global Surveyor to capture the incredibly detailed images from orbit of the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover's tracks on the surface of Mars. The orbiter entered its third mission extension in September 2004 after seven years of orbiting Mars. The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on Sept. 12, 1997. *Image Credit*: NASA
Mars Exploration Rover, Vert …
PIA04928
Title Mars Exploration Rover, Vertical
Original Caption Released with Image December 15, 2003 An artist's concept portrays a NASA Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars. Two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will reach Mars in January 2004. Each has the mobility and toolkit to function as a robotic geologist. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for the NASA Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
First Look Behind Spirit
PIA04981
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title First Look Behind Spirit
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's rear lander petal and, in the background, the Martian horizon. Spirit took the picture right after successfully landing on the surface of Mars.
NASA KSNN - Mars Rovers
NASA Kids Science News segme …
6/1/03
Description NASA Kids Science News segment explaining what the Mars Rover is and what it did.
Date 6/1/03
Spirit Reaches for Closer Lo …
PIA05089
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Reaches for Closer Look
Original Caption Released with Image This animation, composed of four images taken by the front hazard-identification camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover stretching out its robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. This is the first use of the arm on Mars to deploy the microscopic imager, one of four geological instruments located on the arm. The first frame shows a clear view of the martian surface in front of the rover before the arm was successfully deployed early Friday morning. The subsequent frames show the arm emerging from its stowed position beneath the "front porch" of the rover body, reaching out, and using the microscopic imager to take close-up images of the martian soil.
Rover Takes a Sunday Drive
PIA05099
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Rover Takes a Sunday Drive
Original Caption Released with Image This animation, made with images from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit hazard-identification camera, shows the rover's perspective of its first post-egress drive on Mars Sunday. Engineers drove Spirit approximately 3 meters (10 feet) toward its first rock target, a football-sized, mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack. The drive took approximately 30 minutes to complete, including time stopped to take images. Spirit first made a series of arcing turns totaling approximately 1 meter (3 feet). It then turned in place and made a series of short, straightforward movements totaling approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet).
A Higher Opportunity
PIA05166
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title A Higher Opportunity
Original Caption Released with Image This animation strings together images from the rover's front hazard-identification camera taken during the first half of the stand-up process of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The first frame shows the rover's wheels tucked under in pre-stand-up position. The following frames show the first two stages of the stand-up process, in which the rover elevates itself and unfolds the wheels.
Sojourner Rover View of Plat …
PIA01139
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title Sojourner Rover View of Platy Fragments near Pop-Tart
Original Caption Released with Image Sojourner's excavations brought materials to the surface for examination and allowed estimates of the mechanical properties of the deposits. This image is of a 7 cm wide excavation through the veneer of a drift. The platy fragment or piece of crust (upper right) was displaced by the rover wheel. NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Spirit on "Husband Hill," wi …
title Spirit on "Husband Hill," with 2004 Comparison
Description Two Earth years ago, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit touched down in Gusev Crater. The rover marked its first Mars-year (687 Earth days) anniversary in November 2005. On Nov. 2, 2005, shortly before Spirit's Martian anniversary, the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired an image centered on the rover's location in the "Columbia Hills." The location of Spirit on that date is circled on the image on the right. On the left, for comparison, is an image from Jan. 10, 2004, when few dreamed that the Spirit would ever reach the hills from its landing site about three kilometers (two miles) away. The newer image has a resolution of about 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) per pixel. North is up, illumination is from the left. The location is near 14.8 degrees south latitude, 184.6 degrees west longitude. Dr. Timothy J. Parker of the Mars Exploration Rover team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., confirmed the location of the rover in the 2005 image. The scale bar is 50 meters (164 feet). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Rover Team
PIA04826
Title Rover Team
Original Caption Released with Image December 5, 2002 Rover team members with Rover.
'Gibson' Panorama by Spirit …
PIA02690
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title 'Gibson' Panorama by Spirit at 'Home Plate'
Original Caption Released with Image "" Click on the image for 'Gibson' Panorama by Spirit at 'Home Plate' (QTVR) NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this high-resolution view of intricately layered exposures of rock while parked on the northwest edge of the bright, semi-circular feature known as "Home Plate." The rover was perched at a 27-degree upward tilt while creating the panorama, resulting in the "U" shape of the mosaic. In reality, the features along the 1-meter to 2-meter (1-foot to 6.5-foot) vertical exposure of the rim of Home Plate in this vicinity are relatively level. Rocks near the rover in this view, known as the "Gibson" panorama, include "Barnhill,""Rogan," and "Mackey." Spirit acquired 246 separate images of this scene using 6 different filters on the panoramic camera (Pancam) during the rover's Martian days, or sols, 748 through 751 (Feb. 9 through Feb. 12, 2006). The field of view covers 160 degrees of terrain around the rover. This image is an approximately true-color rendering using Pancam's 753-nanometer, 535-namometer, and 432-nanometer filters. Image-to-image seams have been eliminated from the sky portion of the mosaic to better simulate the vista a person standing on Mars would see.
95-degree Position on Mars
PIA05067
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title 95-degree Position on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover in its near-final turned position on the lander at Gusev Crater. At this point, the rover has turned 95 degrees, with 115 degrees being its goal position. This picture looks remarkably similar to the image taken during a "dress rehearsal" at the JPL In-Situ Laboratory, or "testbed," prior to the maneuver on Mars.
X-ray Machine on Mars
PIA05196
Sol (our sun)
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectro …
Title X-ray Machine on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken at Meridiani Planum, Mars by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (circular device in center), located on its instrument deployment device, or "arm." The image was acquired on the ninth martian day or sol of the rover's mission.
Spirit's Shadow
title Spirit's Shadow
date 02.22.2004
description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit casts a shadow over the trench that the rover is examining with tools on its robotic arm. Spirit took this image with its front hazard-avoidance camera on Feb. 21, 2004, during the rover's 48th martian day, or sol. It dug the trench with its left front wheel the preceding sol. Plans call for Spirit to finish examining the trench on sol 50. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL
Spirit's Route in Black and …
PIA07088
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Spirit's Route in Black and White
Original Caption Released with Image The Mars Orbital Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took this image of the topography traversed by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in months prior to the rover's 318th martian day (Dec. 4, 2004). The yellow line traces the rover's path up to and across the "West Spur" of the "Columbia Hills."
Spirit's View Beside 'Home P …
NASA's Mars Exploration Rove …
4/16/09
Description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,823rd Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's surface mission (Feb. 17, 2009). The center of the view is toward the south-southwest. The rover had driven 23 feet, or 7 meters, eastward earlier on Sol 1823, part of maneuvering to get Spirit into a favorable position for climbing onto the low plateau called 'Home Plate.' However, after two driving attempts with negligible progress during the following three sols, the rover team changed its strategy for getting to destinations south of Home Plate. The team decided to drive Spirit at least partway around Home Plate, instead of ascending the northern edge and taking a shorter route across the top of the plateau. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Date 4/16/09
Rover Team Decides: Safety F …
PIA02399
Sol (our sun)
Navigation Camera
Title Rover Team Decides: Safety First
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this view while approaching the northwestern edge of "Home Plate," a circular plateau-like area of bright, layered outcrop material roughly 80 meters (260 feet) in diameter. The images combined into this mosaic were taken by Spirit's navigation camera during the rover's 746th, 748th and 750th Martian days, or sols (Feb. 7, 9 and 11, 2006). With Martian winter closing in, engineers and scientists working with NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit decided to play it safe for the time being rather than attempt to visit the far side of Home Plate in search of rock layers that might show evidence of a past watery environment. This feature has been one of the major milestones of the mission. Though it's conceivable that rock layers might be exposed on the opposite side, sunlight is diminishing on the rover's solar panels and team members chose not to travel in a counterclockwise direction that would take the rover to the west and south slopes of the plateau. Slopes in that direction are hidden from view and team members chose, following a long, thorough discussion, to have the rover travel clockwise and remain on north-facing slopes rather than risk sending the rover deeper into unknown terrain. In addition to studying numerous images from Spirit's cameras, team members studied three-dimensional models created with images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Globel Surveyor orbiter. The models showed a valley on the southern side of Home Plate, the slopes of which might cause the rover's solar panels to lose power for unknown lengths of time. In addition, images from Spirit's cameras showed a nearby, talus-covered section of slope on the west side of Home Plate, rather than exposed rock layers scientists eventually hope to investigate. Home Plate has been on the rover's potential itinerary since the early days of the mission, when it stood out in images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera shortly after the rover landed on Mars. Spirit arrived at Home Plate after traveling 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) across the plains of Gusev Crater, up the slopes of "West Spur" and "Husband Hill," and down again. Scientists are studying the origin of the layering in the outcrop using the Athena science instruments on the rover's arm.
Sojourner Rover Near Half Do …
PIA01559
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title Sojourner Rover Near Half Dome - Right Eye
Original Caption Released with Image Sojourner Rover is seen traversing near Half Dome in this image, taken on Sol 59 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is the cylindrical object extending from the back of the rover. This image and PIA01558 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01558 ](left eye) make up a stereo pair. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Sojourner Rover Near Half Do …
PIA01558
Sol (our sun)
Rover Cameras
Title Sojourner Rover Near Half Dome - Left Eye
Original Caption Released with Image Sojourner Rover is seen traversing near Half Dome in this image, taken on Sol 59 by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is the cylindrical object extending from the back of the rover. This image and PIA01559 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01559 ](right eye) make up a stereo pair. Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Rover Rehearses Roll-Off at …
PIA05087
Title Rover Rehearses Roll-Off at JPL
Original Caption Released with Image Footage from the JPL In-Situ Instruments Laboratory, or "testbed," shows engineers rehearsing a crucial maneuver called egress in which the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit rolls off its lander platform and touches martian soil. Engineers at JPL used a test rover to perform this maneuver as if they were at the rover's landing site, Gusev Crater on Mars. Spirit successfully completed its roll-off early Thursday morning.
Preparing to Test Rover Mobi …
PIA07894
Title Preparing to Test Rover Mobility
Original Caption Released with Image Rover engineers prepare a mixture of sandy and powdery materials to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions inside a facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The tests in early May 2005 were designed to help plan the best way for the rover Opportunity to drive off of a soft-sand dune that the rover dug itself into the previous week.
Rover 1 and Lander
PIA04416
Title Rover 1 and Lander
Original Caption Released with Image A "Martian mechanic" checks beneath the completely deployed Rover 1 lander. Atop the lander is Rover 1 with its wheels and solar arrays in the stowed position.
Heat Shield Ahead
PIA07147
Sol (our sun)
Panoramic Camera
Title Heat Shield Ahead
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this image with its panoramic camera when the rover was about 130 meters (427 feet) from its heat shield, during the rover's 322nd sol (Dec. 19, 2004). The protective device shielded the rover from intense frictional heat as it entered the martian atmosphere. The heat shield was shed during the descent and landing sequence, just before the rover (within its folded lander) was lowered on a bridle. Scientists and engineers are interested in seeing what effects the descent had on the heat shield and are directing Opportunity to examine it.
Spirit Stuck in Soft Soil on …
This view from the panoramic …
11/2/09
Description This view from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the terrain surrounding the location called "Troy," where Spirit became embedded in soft soil during the spring of 2009. The hundreds of images combined into this view were taken beginning on the 1,906th Martian day (or sol) of Spirit's mission on Mars (May 14, 2009) and ending on Sol 1943 (June 20, 2009). Near the center of the image, in the distance, lies Husband Hill, where Spirit recorded views from the summit in 2005. For scale, the parallel tracks are about 1 meter (39 inches) apart. The track on the right is more evident because Spirit was driving backwards, dragging its right-front wheel, which no longer rotates. The bright soil in the center foreground is soft material in which Spirit became embedded after the wheels on that side cut through a darker top layer. The composition of different layers in the soil at the site became the subject of intense investigation by tools on Spirit's robotic arm. In recent weeks, Engineers have been using test rovers on Earth to prepare for extracting the sand-trapped Spirit rover. While amnesia-like symptoms in recent days might delay the start of planned drives by Spirit geared towards extricating it, the Mars Exploration Rover team remains hopeful. "If they are intermittent and infrequent, they are a nuisance that would set us back a day or two when they occur. If the condition becomes persistent or frequent, we will need to go to an alternate strategy that avoids depending on flash memory, " said Project Manager John Callas of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In these amnesia events, Spirit fails to record data from the day's activities onto the type of computer memory -- non-volatile "flash" memory -- that can retain the data when the rover powers down for its energy-conserving periods of "sleep." Spirit has worked on Mars for more than 69 months in what was originally planned as a three-month mission.
Date 11/2/09
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
Dust Spectra from Above and …
PIA05030
Sol (our sun)
Miniature Thermal Emission S …
Title Dust Spectra from Above and Below
Original Caption Released with Image Spectra of martian dust taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer are compared to that of the orbital Mars Global Surveyor's thermal emission spectrometer. The graph shows that the two instruments are in excellent agreement. Rover Senses Carbon Dioxide Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin martian atmosphere. Rover Senses Silicates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. Rover Senses Bound Water Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. Rover Senses Carbonates Click on image for larger view This graph, consisting of data from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - minerals common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface.
MRPS #81008 (Sol 4) Sojourne …
Sojourner is visible in this …
7/7/97
Date 7/7/97
Description Sojourner is visible in this image, one of the first taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. The rover has moved from this position into one that later facilitated its using the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on Barnacle Bill. The APXS, located at the rear of the rover, is not visible in this image. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
View in Front of Spirit
PIA04979
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title View in Front of Spirit
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's front wheels in stowed configuration.
Spirit Stretches Out
PIA05040
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Stretches Out
Original Caption Released with Image This animation flips back and forth between images taken before and after deployment of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's bogie, a part of the rover's suspension system that extends the wheel base. These images were taken by Spirit's hazard avoidance camera.
Rover 2 Moved to Workstand
PIA04828
Title Rover 2 Moved to Workstand
Original Caption Released with Image January 28, 2003 The Mars Exploration Rover -2 is moved to a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars. Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
Sojourner On Mars
Title Sojourner On Mars
Explanation The six wheeled robot rover Mars Sojourner [ http://mars.compuserve.com/ops/rover.html ] rolled onto the martian surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970705.html ] on July 5th (Sol 2) [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970706.html ] at about 10:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time. This image confirms that its descent down the lander's rear deployment ramp was successful. Click on the image to download a "movie gif" constructed from 9 images taken by the Sagan Memorial Station's IMP camera [ http://mars.compuserve.com/default.html ] which shows the rover rolling down the ramp! The rover moved only a short distance from the ramp and spent the night analyzing the martian soil [ http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/resources/ mars_data-information/mars_overview.html#Viking Lander sites ] with its Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer [ http://mars.compuserve.com/mpf/sci_desc.html#APXS ]. Its next destination will be a tantalizing [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970528.html ] rock about 1 foot away that scientists have named "Barnacle Bill". A slow but steady off-road vehicle powered by a 1.9 square foot solar array, the rover can [ http://mars.compuserve.com/rover/sojourner.html ] negotiate obstacles tilted at a 45 degree angle and travels at less than half an inch per second or nearly 0.03 miles per hour.
1 2 3 425 26
1-100 of 2,538