Name This Martian Robot
NASA
will launch two robots to
Mars
next year and you can help name them.
The Mars Exploration Rovers are scheduled for
launch on or near this coming June,
when Mars and Earth are
relatively close in their orbits.
The landing craft are expected to touch down on
Mars in January 2004
and deploy the
robot rovers shortly thereafter.
Rovers have the capability to
crawl about 100 meters each day of their
planned 90-day mission.
The mission's
scientific purpose is to seek out and
inspect interesting rocks and
terrain that could give clues to the
past of Mars.
Suggestions for names should be sent
here,
accompanied by a short essay, by 2003 January 31.
(Eds. Note: The contest is only open to school children in grades K-12.)