Steve Squyres, the prinicipal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions, will speak about the MER team, mission, and science legacy on July 24. This public talk has been organized as part of the Ninth International Conference on Mars. This event is open to all, and doors open at 7 p.m.

About the Mission

In January of 2004, twin robotic explorers named Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars. Expected to last for 90 days, their mission went on for more than 14 years. Its objective was to search for evidence of past water on Mars, and to determine if Mars ever had conditions that would have been suitable for life.

To develop Spirit and Opportunity, a team of more than 4,000 highly motivated engineers and scientists overcame a host of technical challenges. The talk will provide a summary of the missions of Spirit and Opportunity, from their initial conception through their development, launch, landing, and operations on the surface of Mars.