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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Breaks More Records; Opportunity Digs a Trench
Mars driving records are falling at Gusev Crater, as the rover Spirit continues its steady progress towards the nearby crater nicknamed
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Breaks Driving Record -- Again, and Meets the Stone Council
The Mars Exploration Rovers are really starting to 'show their stuff' on the Red Planet. Despite a couple of technological hiccups earlier in the week, the twin robot field geologists are getting down and dirty in the Martian soil.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Cruises to New Target, 'White Boat' Opportunity Uncovers Mystery Spheres
Both Mars rovers -- Spirit and Opportunity -- are roving on the Red Planet and doing exactly what they were programmed to do as robot field geologists, explore their surrounding areas.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: A Restored Spirit Studies Adirondack, 'Talks' to Mars Express
A fully restored Spirit got back to work late last week on Gusev Crater, using her rock abrasion tool for the first time to brush, then grind into Adirondack. And before her first day back was done, the rover returned more surprises to the science team in the flow of research data she sent home, and reestablished the
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Suffers Minor Set-Back
It's been another week unlike any other week on Mars.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Both Spirit and Opportunity Get to Work on Mars
Both Mars Exploration Rovers -- Spirit and Opportunity -- are getting to work studying the Martian landscapes in which they landed.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Rolls onto Surface of Meridiani Planum, Mars and Confirms Presence of Hematite
Opportunity rolled off her lander and onto the dark red Martian soil at Meridiani Planum early Saturday morning, at about 1:50 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, just one week after the robot field geologist arrived on the Red Planet.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Finds Martian 'Paydirt,' Rolls Onto Surface Spirit Makes A Comeback
Both Mars Exploration Rovers -- Spirit and Opportunity -- are down in the Martian dirt and getting to work.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Sends First Image Home Since Computer Glitch Shut Her Down Last Week
The first Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit took -- and successfully returned -- her first image since problems.
NASA Names Gusev Crater Hills After Apollo 1 Crew
NASA Headquarters issued a press release late yesterday announcing that the agency is memorializing the Apollo 1 crew -- Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee -- by naming the hills surrounding the first Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site after the three astronauts.
Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Continues Progress in 'Rehab;' Opportunity Returns "Phenomenal" Images Challenger Crew Remembered
While the first Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, continues to make progress in 'rehab,' members of the science teams are marveling at the images Opportunity is sending home.
Opportunity Scores "A 300-Million-Mile, Interplanetary Hole-In-One"
Although it did appear from the very first images returned that the second Mars Exploration Rover had landed inside a small crater when it arrived at Meridiani Planum last Saturday night, that belief was confirmed with further analysis yesterday.
Spirit is "In Recovery"
Spirit stopped transmitting good data last Wednesday, but never went silent. It continued communicating with the MER team and returning good information with which the team is now working.
The Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Lands in "Beautiful, Alien Place!"
Opportunity landed in Meridiani Planum on Mars last night at 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) -- and fours hours later sent its first postcards home!
Mars Rover Spirit Upgraded from "Critical" to "Serious"
The specially formed Anomaly Team working overnight to unravel the mystery of what happened last Wednesday that caused the rover’s computer to fall into a reboot loop and stop functioning properly – had by this morning come up with a working hypothesis.
Second Mars Rover Opportunity Fast Approaching Mars
The second Mars Exploration Rover -- Opportunity -- Spirit's identical twin -- is approaching the atmosphere of Mars and is expected to land on the Red Planet tonight around 9:06 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Spirit Remains in "Intensive Care," But Continues to Radio Home
Spirit 'phoned home' this morning and returned some good engineering data, but the Mars rover remains in
Spirit Suffers "Serious Anomaly," But Continues 'Beeping' Home
Something is wrong with Spirit, but what exactly it is -- and just how serious it is -- the Mars Exploration Rover team isn't sure.
Spirit Discovers Surprises in Martian Soil, but Earth Weather Blocks Commands to Continue Work
Spirit got off to a running start this week, using three of the four instruments on her robotic arm to study a patch of Martian soil, and the football-sized rock Adirondack.
Spirit Ventures Out to First Target
Spirit ventured out yesterday, driving nearly 10 feet (about 3 meters) to its first target -- a football-sized rock that scientists have dubbed Adirondack. Meanwhile, Spirit's twin, Opportunity, successfully completed its first trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) in four months.