Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL

About The Mission:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL

Spirit could be a robotic rover on Mars, active from 2004 to 2010. It is also known as MER-A (Mars Exploration Rover – A) or MER-2. Among her infinite discoveries, Spirit found evidence that Mars was once much wetter than it is today and helped scientists better understand the Martian wind.

Scientific Payloads:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL

  • Panoramic camera (Pancam)
  • Microscopic Imager (MI)
  • Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES)
  • Mossbauer Spectrometer (MB)
  • Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)
  • Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT)
  • Magnet arrays
  • Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams)
  • Navigation Cameras (Navcams)

Mission Timeline:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL


The Spirit Mars rover and lander arrived successfully on the surface of Mars at 04:35 Ground UTC on January 4, 2004. This was a 90 days mission, but it lasted until 2010.

Mission Overview:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL

On August 11, 2007, Spirit obtained the second longest operational duration on the surface of Mars for a lander or rover at 1282 Sols, one sol longer than the Viking 2 lander.  Spirit was powered by solar arrays. Until Opportunity overtook it on May 19, 2010, the Mars probe with the longest operational period was Viking 1 that lasted for 2245 Sols on the surface of Mars. Spirit sent its last communication on March 22, 2010.

Discoveries By Rover Spirit:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL


  • Dust Devils and Ancient Habitable Environments.
  • Atmospheric Dynamics.
  • Martian Dust Devils.
  • Modern Water or Frost.
  • Modern Waters, Part 2.
  • Water Interacting with Hot Rock.
  • An Ancient Hydrothermal System.
  • Wind-Blown Ripples.

Honors To Rover Spirit:

Facts About Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit
Image: NASA/JPL

  • To commemorate Spirit's nice contribution to the exploration of Mars, the asteroid 37452 Spirit has been named after it.
  • The Liberty Science Center and Reuben H. Fleet Science Center also have an IMAX show called Roving Mars that documents the journey of both Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
  • To honor the rover, the JPL team named an area near Endeavour Crater explored by the Opportunity rover, 'Spirit Point'.
  • January 4, 2014, was celebrated as the tenth anniversary of its landing on Mars.

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