PIA04829: Crane Lowers Aeroshell
 Target Name:  Mars
 Mission:  Mars Exploration Rover (MER)
 Product Size:  1955 x 3000 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Addition Date:  2003-10-30
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04829.tif (17.62 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04829.jpg (843.6 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

January 31, 2003

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, an overhead crane lowers the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell toward a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) 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.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL

Image Addition Date:
2003-10-30