1. Mars exploration rovers

2. Mars Exploration Rovers
90-day mission
Landed in early 2004
One lasted six years
The other is still exploring!

3. Spirit Landing site picked from geomorphology
Crater with channel running into it

4. Spirit Plain covered in basalt rocks
Some basalts similar to Martian meteorites

5. Spirit
Saw dust devils!

6. Spirit
Traveled to the Columbia Hills

7. Spirit Rocks look like they’ve been hydrothermally altered!
Evidence of water!
Lava flow covered rocks altered by water

8. Spirit Got stuck in the sand in the Columbia Hills
Couldn’t turn so solar panels faced south in winter
Haven’t been able to raise it since March 2010
Gave up trying to talk to Spirit last month 

10. Opportunity Interplanetary hole in one!
Rolled into a small crater called Eagle Crater
Sulfate-rich BEDROCK(!!!) right in front of the rover

11. Opportunity Landing site chosen by mineralogy
High concentration of hematite

12. Opportunity Embedded in sulfate-rich bedrock – blueberries!
Hematite spherules
Evidence of water

13. Opportunity
Found meteorites on Mars!

14. Opportunity
Traveled to Victoria Crater
Many layers of bedrock

16. Opportunity On its way to Endeavor Crater – just surpassed 30 km!
22 km (14 miles) in diameter