Launch:
Spirit - June 10, 2003
Opportunity - July 7, 2003

Launch Vehicle:
Delta II

MISSION TIMELINE:

MISSION OBJECTIVES:
Each sol(day) are designated to focus on different kind of task. One involves a taking panoramic data with Pancam and Mini-TES that can be used by scientists to select targets for further study. Another might involve measurements with the science tools the rover carries on its arm (called the Instrument Deployment Device or IDD). Others might be to drive as great a distance as possible, or to approach a rock target that has been identified. The rover is commanded to travel from point A to point B and is intelligent enough to maneuver through a Martian landscape littered with boulders and rocks. An approach sol is used to position the rover so that its multi-jointed arm can reach a selected target. Hazard avoidance cameras, or Hazcams located under the solar panel deck capture images of the work area to make sure it is clear. Only then is the arm deployed.

A typical scenario for using the science tools on the arm of the rover might be to deploy the Microscopic Imager to collect close-up views of a selected Martian rock. The arm then rotates to bring the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) into position to grind into the target´s surface. The Microscopic Imager is repositioned to collect images of these freshly exposed layers. The Alpha-Particle-X-ray-Spectrometer (APXS) then may be used to gather information on the elemental make-up of the rock, or the Mössbauer Spectrometer may be brought into position so that scientists can learn the composition of the iron-bearing minerals in the selected target. The arm is then returned to its stowed position before another drive.