Technicians do final checks on NASA’s Spirit rover in this image from March 28, 2003. The rover – and its twin, Opportunity – studied the history of climate and water at sites on Mars where conditions may once have been favorable to life. Each rover is about the size of a golf cart and seven times heavier (about 405 pounds or 185 kilograms) than the Sojourner rover launched on the Mars Pathfinder to Mars mission in 1996.
Spirit and Opportunity were sent to opposite sides of Mars to locations that were suspected of having been affected by liquid water in the past. Spirit was launched first, on June 10, 2003. Spirit landed on the Martian surface on Jan. 3, 2004, about 8 miles (13.4 kilometers) from the planned target and inside the Gusev crater. The site became known as Columbia Memorial Station to honor the seven astronauts killed when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart Feb. 1, 2003, as it returned to Earth. The plaque commemorating the STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia crew can be seen in the image above.
Spirit operated for 6 years, 2 months, and 19 days, more than 25 times its original intended lifetime, traveling 4.8 miles (7.73 kilometers) across the Martian plains.
Image credit: NASA
在这张拍摄于2003年3月28日的图片中，技术人员正在对NASA的勇气号（Spirit）火星车进行最终检查。勇气号及其双胞胎火星车机遇号（Opportunity）负责研究火星上可能曾经适合生命存在的地点的气候和水文历史。每辆火星车的体积约等同于一辆高尔夫球车，但重量是1996年索杰纳号火星车的七倍，约405磅（185千克）。索杰纳号是火星探路者任务的一部分。
勇气号和机遇号被分别送往火星的对侧区域，这些地点被认为曾受到液态水的影响。勇气号率先发射，于2003年6月10日升空，并于2004年1月3日成功降落在古谢夫陨石坑（Gusev Crater）内，距离预定目标约8英里（13.4公里）。该着陆点后来被命名为哥伦比亚纪念站（Columbia Memorial Station），以纪念在2003年2月1日航天飞机哥伦比亚号（Columbia）返回地球时解体而牺牲的七名宇航员。在上述图像中，可以看到STS-107航天飞机哥伦比亚号任务组的纪念牌。
勇气号的任务持续了6年2个月19天，远超其原定任务寿命（25倍以上），总共在火星表面行驶了4.8英里（7.73公里），探索了火星平原的地质特征。
图片来源: NASA
