May 21, 2009
UPDATE
Five Years Later, Mars Rovers Continue to Make Discoveries
More than four years after its expected demise, the Mars rover Opportunity continues to send back valuable data as it crawls across the planet's surface.

September 13, 2007
SLIDE SHOW
Opportunity Explores Victoria Crater
The Mars rover Opportunity's foray into Victoria Crater -- and Spirit's journey on the other side of the planet -- are helping inform the science and engineering of future Mars missions, including Phoenix and the Mars Science Laboratory, which will search for traces of life. Ashley Stroupe of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the lessons learned and previews the next generation of Mars explorers.

January 19, 2007
UPDATE
Spirit, Opportunity Test New Software Capabilities
The NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which began their fourth year on Mars this month, are testing new software as they continue to investigate the planet's hills and craters. Meanwhile, Opportunity is circling and photographing Victoria Crater, searching for a way inside -- and out.

September 29, 2006
UPDATE
Rover Opportunity Begins Exploration of Key Crater
The Mars rover Opportunity reached the rim of the Victoria Crater on Mars, capturing new images of a 900-meter depression that could reveal information about the possibility of life on the red planet. Principal scientist Steve Squyres discusses the mission's findings.

January 25, 2006
Mars Rovers Roll On
NASA's rovers Spirit and Opportunity -- once thought to have a life span of only three months -- are entering their third year of exploring Mars. They have found evidence of Mars' watery past and have been making other observations about the red planet ever since. Correspondent Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles provides a report on the rovers' travels and condition.

January 10, 2006
Scientist Helps Maneuver Mars Rovers into Third Earth Year
The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity roll into their third Earth year on Mars this month with the help of Chris Leger, one of a team of scientists maneuvering the robots around the red planet.

January 5, 2006
RealAudio: Lead Investigator Reflects on Rovers' Two-year Anniversary
Dr. Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rovers science payload, discusses in a telephone interview the mission's findings and role in NASA's space program two Earth years after the rovers have made tracks across the red planet. (Length: 4 minutes)

December 12, 2005
Rovers Complete First Martian Year Showing Some Wear
The two rovers examining rocks and soil on Mars have ended their first Martian year, much longer than anyone expected, with some technical glitches but are still capable of gathering data.

September 2, 2005
Spirit Reaches Mountain Peak on Mars
NASA's rover Spirit has reached the summit of a bedrock mountain on Mars, and from that vantage point, mission managers will plot the robotic explorer's next move among the numerous intriguing surrounding geologic features.

February 24, 2005
Images, Rock on Mars Yield More Proof of Watery Past
The Spirit rover on Mars has found a sulfur-infused rock that gives the most compelling evidence yet of how water affected the planet's surface, while the European Space Agency's orbiting probe has photographed proof of an underground frozen sea.

November 24, 2004
Mars Rovers Still Feeding Data to NASA Scientists
The twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are continuing to send information to NASA scientists on Earth more than 10 months after their touchdown on the red planet.

March 23, 2004
Opportunity Spies Proof of Surface Water
NASA scientists announced Tuesday that they believe the Mars rover Opportunity has found what used to be a briny pool of standing water, providing the best evidence yet that Mars may have once supported life.

March 2, 2004
NASA Finds Signs That Water Once Flowed on Mars
NASA scientists reported Tuesday that water once drenched areas of Mars, but they stressed that they still have not found evidence that life existed on the planet. Jeffrey Brown discusses the findings with Jim Garvin, lead scientist for NASA's Mars program.

February 19, 2004
Rovers Inspect Soil, Unusual Rock Formations
The Spirit rover drove into a Martian hollow, while halfway around the planet, its twin dug a trench with one wheel to investigate the soil's content. Ray Suarez discusses the latest findings with Steve Squyres of Cornell University, principle investigator of the Mars rovers' scientific instruments.

February 9, 2004
Recovered Rover Drills Into Martian Rock
NASA's rover Spirit, fully recovered from computer problems that plagued it for more than two weeks, drilled into a Martian rock over the weekend in search of evidence that water once flowed on the arid planet.

January 26, 2004
Second Rover Bounces Down on Mars
Ray Suarez speaks to NASA Mars Exploration Program Director Orlando Figueroa about Opportunity's planned expedition now that it has reached the red planet.

Update: Second Nasa Rover Lands on Mars; Spirit Prognosis Improves

January 22, 2004
Mars Rover Stops Transmitting Data
NASA's rover Spirit has failed to transmit data from Mars for more than 24 hours. Jeffrey Brown speaks to Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Charles Elachi about what could be causing the communication lapse.

January 15, 2004
Mars Rover Rolls Onto Planet's Surface
The robotic rover Spirit rolled off its landing platform Thursday to start investigating Martian soil and rocks for any traces that water and possibly life once existed on the red planet. Jeffrey Brown asks Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Charles Elachi about the rover's progress.

Update: Mars Rover Rolls onto Planet's Surface

January 14, 2004
President Bush Unveils Moon-Mars Program
President Bush announced plans Wednesday to develop a new spacecraft to send humans back to the moon as early as 2015 and use it as a launching point for manned missions to Mars.

January 9, 2004
Mars Rover Poised to Explore Crater
Although all of Spirit's instruments are working, a wayward airbag must be moved before the robotic explorer can roll off its landing pad. Jim Bell, one of the mission scientists, explains the situation and the data retrieved from the rover so far.

January 5, 2004
Lander Seeks Evidence of Water, Ancient Life
The NASA rover Spirit successfully landed on Mars Saturday, sending to Earth the first close images of the red planet since 1997. Scientists explain what they hope to learn from the mission.

May 29, 2003
Scientists to Launch Next Round of Mars Rovers
Jeffrey Kaye of KCET Los Angeles reports on NASA's next Mars mission after the 1999 Mars Polar Lander disappointment.