Spirit and Opportunity leave Earth

Spirit and Opportunity leave Earth
Spirit and Opportunity leave Earth Spirit [left] launched from Earth on June 10, 2003 on a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Three weeks later on July 7, 2003, Opportunity [right] followed. They traveled on a trajectory that delivered them to Mars in about seven months. Despite the naysayers, each rover landed safely and took off on expeditions that surprised everyone. NASA