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Mission: Opportunity
Launch Date: July 7, 2003
Launch Time: 11:18:15
p.m. EDT
Launch Vehicle: Delta II Heavy
Launch Pad: 17-B
+ 6 June 2003 - Science
Briefing
+ 6 June 2003 - Science
Briefing question and answer session
+ 6 June 2003 - Mission
Briefing
+ 6 June 2003 - Mission
Briefing question and answer session
+ 27 June 2003 -
Pre-Launch Press Conference
+ 27 June 2003 -
Pre-Launch Press Conference question and answer
The Mars Exploration Rover mission is part of NASA's Mars
Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration
of the red planet. The program seeks to take advantage of
each launch opportunity to go to Mars, which comes around
every 26 months as the planets move around the Sun. Scheduled
for two separate launches, the two rovers will be delivered
in landing craft to separate sites on Mars in January 2004.
Primary among the mission's scientific goals is to search
for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that
hold clues to past water activity on Mars. The spacecraft
will be targeted to sites that appear to have been affected
by liquid water in the past.
After the airbag-protected landing craft settle onto the
surface and open, the rovers will roll out to take panoramic
images. These will give scientists the information they need
to select promising geological targets that will tell part
of the story of water in Mars' past. Then, the rovers will
drive to those locations to perform on-site scientific investigations
over the course of their 90-day mission.
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NASA Direct! Webcasts
Join us for special programming!
+
View
Mars Exploration Rover Gallery
View images, videos, animations and archived webcasts!
+
View
Decorate Your Desktop!
Download wallpaper featuring the MER mission.
+
MER Rover wallpaper
+
Delta II wallpaper
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| 7
July 2003
Newly Launched 'Opportunity' Follows
Mars-bound 'Spirit'
+
Read more
6 July 2003
“Opportunity” Mars Exploration
Rover Targeted for Launch Monday,
July 7
+
Read more
5 July 2003
Launch of “Opportunity”
Aboard Delta II Postponed to July
7
+
Read more
3 July 2003
“Opportunity” Mars Exploration
Rover Targeted for Launch July 6
+
Read more
30 June 2003
MER-B Launch of “Opportunity”
Spacecraft Postponed to Saturday,
July 5
+
Read more
29 June 2003
MER-B Delta Launch with Opportunity
Postponed to July 2
+
Read more
29 June 2003 (revised)
MER-B "Opportunity" Launch Delayed
+
Read more
29 June 2003
MER-B “Opportunity" Launch Delayed
+
Read more
24 June 2003
"Opportunity" Mars Exploration Rover Targeted for
Launch June 28
+
Read more
+ View Archived News
Releases
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MER Mission Press Kit (PDF)
Learn the background and details of this exciting mission!
+
View site
+
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
ELV Status Reports
Read current and archived status reports from KSC.
+
View site
Mars Exploration Program
Find out how the MER mission fits into NASA's Mars Exploration
Program.
+
View site
The Delta Launch Vehicle
Look up news and information about Boeing's Delta launch vehicles.
+
View site
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