Scroll or pinch to deep-zoom · powered by IIIF

Rover, Surface System Test Bed 1, Mars Exploration Rover (MER)

This testbed rover was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as part of the Mars Exploration Rover program. The twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched for Mars in July 2003. The MER program was unprecedented in the amount of time the twin rovers spent traversing Mars, and in the distance covered. Described as robotic geologists, these rovers explored the rocks and soil of Mars around two very different landing sites. Spirit landed at Gusev crater in January 2004, and Opportunity landed soon after in Meridiani Planum. The two rovers spent a combined 20 years exploring Mars, and traveled a combined distance of nearly 33 miles. They returned over 300,000 raw images of Mars during this time, and a wealth of scientific data.

Type

AVIONICS-Electronic/Satellite Navigation

Medium

Aluminum alloy, solar arrays, rubber, paint, plastic, Kapton tape, black tape, various adhesives, Aerogel insulation, electronic components and wiring, possibly lithium batteries

Department

NASM

Institution

National Air and Space Museum

Object number

nasm_A20200007000

Credit

Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration