Projects: Space Information
The Planetary Report
Volume XXIII, Number 6, November/December 2003
Credit:
Mars Exploration Rover renderings by Daniel Maas/Mass Digital LLC © 2002 Cornell University. All rights reserved. |
On the Cover
The Mars Exploration Rover has landed, unfolded itself,
and stood up in this computer graphic montage. When Spirit and Opportunity
arrive at the Red Planet, their landers will carry the Red Rover Goes to
Mars DVD assembly, visible in the bottom view directly in front of the rover's
right front tire. Each DVD carries the names of four million Earthlings
who signed up to send their names to Mars. Included in that group are the
members of The Planetary Society.
From The Editor
Explorers from Earth are fast closing
in on Mars. Five spacecraft—Mars
Express, Beagle 2, Spirit, Opportunity,
and Nozomi—will soon join Mars Global
Surveyor and Odyssey now orbiting the
Red Planet. It is an unprecedented confluence
of explorers at another world.
The Planetary Society is riding on two
of the spacecraft. With our Red Rover Goes
to Mars project, we are on the team for the
NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and
our student astronauts will be at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory during the crucial
first weeks of the mission. These are extraordinary
times for all Planetary Society
members.
Although we are directly involved with the NASA missions, we can’t overlook
the European, British, and Japanese efforts. In this issue, we detail what
will happen during Spirit and Opportunity’s missions, giving our members
a program to follow the progress of their involvement with the project. We
simply didn’t have the space to cover all the missions in detail. Instead,
we have created special sections on our website, planetary.org, devoted to
Mars Express, Beagle 2, and Nozomi.
The Planetary Society is an international organization, and we recognize
that exploring other worlds is an endeavor that involves the entire world.
We will use every medium available to spread that message.
— Charlene M. Anderson
Features
We Make It Happen! Special Update: Introducing the Student Astronauts
Here
they are: the 16 students selected from around the world as Student
Astronauts for the Red Rover Goes to Mars project! The selection process was a grueling
one—
for both applicants and judges—requiring research, analysis, creativity, and
an ability to work with others. Each one of these students is a remarkable individual
who will represent The Planetary Society during the missions of the rovers Spirit
and Opportunity (not coincidentally named in a contest involving the Society).
Here you can meet our representatives and prepare to follow their progress through
the mission.
The Human Side of Mars Rover Exploration
Because of The Planetary
Society’s close involvement with the NASA Mars
Exploration Rover mission, we have come to know many of the involved scientists
and engineers very well. One of our favorites is Jim
Bell of Cornell University,
who is lead scientist for the Pancam on the rovers. Jim has worked closely
with us throughout the Red Rover Goes to Mars Project, as well as with
the Mars Sundial that each rover carries as a calibration target for one of
the cameras. It is through the dedication and commitment of scientists like
Jim that The Planetary Society can be so closely involved in real missions
of exploration.
Arriving at the Red Planet—A Real Nail-Biter!
The night of
January 3, as the rover Spirit begins its descent to the surface of Mars,
will be a time of anxiety and hope for those of us who remember all too
well a similar time in 1999 when the Mars Polar Lander approached the Red
Planet and was never heard from again. More than 50 percent of the spacecraft
sent to Mars have never made it. So we’ll
be keeping our fingers crossed this time and following closely this detailed
sequence of events.
Departments
Members’ Dialogue
World Watch
Questions and Answers
Society News
The Planetary Report is available only to Members of The Planetary Society. If you'd like to read these and other exciting features, JOIN THE PLANETARY SOCIETY TODAY!
MEMBERS: Download this and other back issues of The Planetary Report in PDF format from the For Members section of the website.
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