Explore Worlds
Find Life
Defend Earth
All
All
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
An opportunity for Spirit to see Earth and Venus together?
I received the following question by email last week:
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Revels in Science at Husband Hill Summit as Opportunity Closes in on Erebus Crater
Despite a few unexpected bumps and curves in their explorations at Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, the Mars Exploration Rovers have been working away and both Spirit and Opportunity have put in a very productive month's worth of work on the Red Planet.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Returns (Most of) Panorama from Summit of Husband Hill
Spirit has returned enough pictures from the summit of Husband Hill for the Mars Exploration Team to have put together a 240-degree color panorama of her view, which they released at a news conference today, held at NASA headquarters in Washington D.C. In coming days, the rover will return the rest of the images to complete the full, 360-degree, color panorama.
A launch delay for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Space Shuttle couldn't land at Kennedy Space Center today because of concerns about weather, so I have been expecting a launch delay to be announced for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Indeed, a 24-hour delay has just been announced; the new launch date is Thursday, August 11 from 7:50 to 9:35 a.m. EDT (11:50 to 13:35 UTC).
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Rocks Independence as Opportunity Celebrates With Road Trip
The Mars Exploration Rovers are still going strong, and both robot field geologists will be working through the July 4th holiday.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Roves Out of Sand Dune as Spirit Uncovers Clues of Past Explosions
Nearly a year and a half after landing on the Red Planet, the Mars Exploration Rovers are continuing to collect important science and impress the team with their resiliency.
Martian Orbiter Takes Pictures of Neighboring Crafts Passing By
During April 2005, the Mars Global Surveyor happened to pass relatively close to Odyssey and Mars Express. What resulted were remarkably clear pictures of human-made spacecraft orbiting and alien world.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Investigates New Outcrop Methuselah as Opportunity Roves into a Ripple and Gets Stuck
The Mars Exploration Rovers have both encountered some truly challenging obstacles in recent days, but have also presented the team with some surprises, and continue to be in overall good health some 16 months after bouncing to a landing, and more than a year after completing their primary missions.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit 'Snaps' Dust-Devils while Opportunity Roves on to Viking (the Crater)
After more than a year of active-duty research, the Mars Exploration Rovers have caught 'second winds' -- in part because of their new, recently uploaded software and, in part -- however strange it may seem -- from the planet's notorious dust devils.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: NASA/JPL Team Celebrates Rovers' First Year on Mars as Spirit and Opportunity Return
As Spirit rang in her new year at Gusev Crater on Mars Monday, NASA officials and mission team members celebrated the Mars Exploration Rovers first anniversary at an event that featured a press conference, storytelling session, and birthday party at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit and Opportunity Celebrate Christmas by Working
The Mars Exploration Rovers are trudging ever onward through the dead of winter on the Red Planet dreaming, perhaps, if robots dream, of a white Christmas. But Spirit and Opportunity are robots after all and come this weekend
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Climbs up Husband Hill as Opportunity Returns to Karatepe to Exit Endurance Crater
The Mars Exploration Rovers are roving ever on into new territories and deeper into the history books as they close in on the end of one full Earth year of active duty at their respective sites on Red Planet.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Climbs toward Uchben Opportunity Picks up Power while at Wopmay
As winter gives way to spring on the Red Planet, the Mars Explorations Rovers are maintaining their 5-day a week work schedules and continuing to send surprises home to Earth. Despite a recurring 'ache' in one of her steering motors, Spirit is continuing her climb in the Columbia Hills toward a rock called Uchben, while her twin, Opportunity, is completing her work at Wopmay.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Rovers Expand the Water Story as Spirit Gets Back to Climbing and Opportunity Stops at Wopmay
The Mars Exploration Rovers are returning more and more evidence that there was liquid water on Mars at some point in the distant past, team members reported at a telecom news briefing yesterday.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Sits with Steering Glitch, Opportunity Makes Tracks Toward Burn's Cliff
The worst of the Martian winter is over for the Mars Exploration Rovers, but the robots' own dark days appear to be looming as Spirit hits a 'bump' that's kept her at a standstill for a week now.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit and Opportunity Roving Again as NASA Extends Tours of Duty
After nearly two weeks of sparse, infrequent communication, Spirit and Opportunity have survived winter solstice and resumed
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Roves onto "Best" of Martian Bedrock, Evidence of "Much More Water" as Opportunity Uncovers Bizarre Geologic 'Popcorn'
During the last four weeks, the Mars Exploration Rovers have braved the Martian winter to continue their geologic field work, sending home more evidence of past liquid water on the Red Planet and images of bizarre geologic formations the likes of which no one has seen before.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Finds Hematite Opportunity Discovers Signs of More Water
As the Martian winter descends on Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, the Mars Exploration Rovers have hit the snowless slopes.