LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mars: Mars Exploration
built 288 days ago
With only about a month remaining before Opportunity's fourth anniversary (in Earth years) of Mars exploration, NASA's robotic geologist is still grinding into the surface of rocks to unlock the secrets of their interior chemistry. Meanwhile, fall arrived in the southern hemisphere of Mars on Dec. 9, 2007, Opportunity's 1,378th Martian day, or sol, of exploration of the Red Planet. more
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Spacecraft exploration of Mars began in 1964 with Mariner 4. Previous attempts by both the USSR and United States to send a spacecraft to Mars had failed. Mariner 4 reached the red planet on July 15, 1964 and returned photographs and atmospheric measurements. Three more Mariner spacecraft, Mariner 6,7 and 9, successfully orbited Mars by the end of 1971.
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Human exploration of the surface of Mars began in July of 1965 with the flyby of the Mariner 4 orbiter. The 22 pictures the Mariner orbiter returned revealed a much different surface - cold and barren, with moon-like craters and no signs of surface life whatsoever.
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The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft landed on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. The Lander camera and instruments returned data on the Mars atmosphere and surrounding terrain in an ancient floodplain in the Ares Vallis region. The rover Sojourner became the first micro-rover to operate on another planet, analyzing rocks and soils and testing new rover technology for use in future planetary exploration.
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Once the Phoenix arrives on Mars, the MET instruments will be used constantly in surface operations, which are expected to last 150 days. These instruments are central to scientific exploration on Mars, providing the essential tools scientists need to learn more about the Martian climate and geology, as well as determine whether life has ever existed. The MET instrument will contribute to the success of the Phoenix mission.
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