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3\07 Mars Exploration Rover Photos - February 24-27, 2003
Part 1 of 2

MARS EXPLORATION ROVER PHOTOS
Photos taken on February 24 & 27, 2003
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899

Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission will 
consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards 
each Martian day. 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. The rovers will be identical 
to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first 
rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a 
window opening June 25, 2003. 

No copyright protection is asserted for this photography. If a 
recognizable person appears in this photograph, use for commercial 
purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be 
used to state or imply the endorsement by NASA employees of a 
commercial product, process or service, or used in any other manner 
that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this 
photograph is used in advertising and other commercial promotion, 
layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18595

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0536 

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The cruise stage, aeroshell and lander 
for the Mars Exploration Rover-1 mission and the MER-2 rover arrive at 
KSC. The same flight hardware for the MER-2 rover arrived Jan. 27; 
however, the MER-2 rover is scheduled to arrive at KSC in March. While 
at KSC, each of the two rovers, the aeroshells and the landers will 
undergo a full mission simulation. All of these flight elements will 
then be integrated together. After spin balance testing, each 
spacecraft will be mated to a solid propellant upper stage booster 
that will propel the spacecraft out of Earth orbit.  Approximately 10 
days before launch they will be transported to the launch pad for 
mating with their respective Boeing Delta II rockets. The rovers will 
serve as robotic geologists to seek answers about the evolution of 
Mars, particularly for a history of water. The rovers will be 
identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. 
Launch of the MER-1 is

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18596

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0537 

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The cruise stage, aeroshell and lander 
for the Mars Exploration Rover-1 mission and the MER-2 rover arrive at 
KSC's Multi-Payload Processing Facility. 

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18597

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0538

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The aeroshell for the Mars Exploration 
Rover-1 mission is offloaded at KSC's Multi-Payload Processing 
Facility.

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18598

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0539

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The aeroshell for the Mars Exploration 
Rover-1 mission is moved into KSC's Multi-Payload Processing Facility.

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18599

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0540

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Another component of the Mars 
Exploration 

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18600

FOR RELEASE: 02/24/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0541

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Another component of the Mars 
Exploration Rover-1 mission is moved into KSC's Multi-Payload 
Processing Facility. 

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18617

FOR RELEASE: 02/27/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0592

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing 
Facility, the shipping container is lifted off the components of Mars 
Exploration Rover-1, the aershell and cruise stage.

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18618

FOR RELEASE: 02/27/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0593

PHOTO CREDIT:   NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- With the shipping container lifted, the 
aeroshell and cruise stage of Mars Exploration Rover-1 are revealed in 
the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The upper portion is the 
heat shield on the aeroshell.

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http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/photodetail.cfm?MediaID=18619

FOR RELEASE: 02/27/2003
PHOTO NO: KSC-03pd-0594

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous 
Servicing Facility look over the aeroshell and cruise stage of Mars 
Exploration Rover-1. The upper portion is the heat shield on the 
aeroshell.

(continued)

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