Inside the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Project
- Paper number
IAC-04-H.L.3.03
- Author
Mr. Richard A. Cook, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
- Year
2004
- Abstract
Since their historic landing on Mars, NASA’s twin Martian robotic explorers have captured global interest and contributed to a revolutionary new understanding of the red planet. Richard Cook was a key member of the Rover project team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, serving as Project Manager during surface operations. In this lecture, he will provide a history of the project, with insights into the challenges faced by the team as they designed and built two complex rovers in less than three years. Also discussed will be the logistical difficulties of with landing on Mars, and the innovative system developed to ensure mission success. Key findings from the project will be presented, including the evidence of ancient water at Meridiani Planum. The significance of these findings, and the near-term efforts to continue Mars exploration, will also be discussed.
- Abstract document