KSC-03pd1229
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-A) has achieved final closure of the lander. Visible now are the airbags that will inflate to cushion the landing on Mars. The lander and rover will subsequently be enclosed within an aeroshell for launch. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. Identical to each other, the rovers will land at different regions of Mars. Launch date for this first of NASA's two Mars Exploration Rover missions is scheduled no earlier than June 6.
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Details
NASA ID
KSC-03pd1229
Date Created
April 23, 2003
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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