Mars rover stands up, ready to roll

[Nlighten1]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3883986/

NASA’s Spirit prepares to drive onto Martian surface
PASADENA, Calif. - NASA’s Spirit rover has unfolded itself and stretched up to its full 4-foot, 9-inch height, making it ready to drive off the lander that delivered it to Mars, the space agency said Saturday.

The rover could reach the martian surface as early as Wednesday morning.

“It now stands at full height and all six wheels are in their final position,” mission manager Jennifer Trosper said during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The unfolding was one of the most complex deployments ever performed by a robotic spacecraft, mechanical systems engineer Chris Voorhees said. NASA had to fold up the rover to make it fit inside the lander, which opened up like a four-petal flower.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Bright spot of news!

Good to know! Thanks, Nlighten1, for posting this! Am really looking forward to more Mars pics!! WooHoo! :party:

[Terwilliger]

2. excellent

is there a live link website anywhere?

[Shadder]

3. Heh, funny you should ask that...

I was ask by JPL to put together a links page for MER information that would link to the Maestro proram website. Take a look at http://www.marsmissionlinks.com and I'm sure you will find exactly what your looking for.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Not live - but lots of pics updated regularly

.
.
.
at LINK > > >http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/targetFamily/Mars







Larger pics at above link

[Endangered Specie]

4. It must be vary nerve racking to do this

It takes about 15-20 mins or so for each movement, since that is about the time a radio signal takes to go to mars and back.

Maybe it will run across the smoldering remains of Beagle II.

[truthisfreedom]

6. they guys who designed this grew up with transformer toys. 8^)

as opposed to the previous generations who grew up with erector sets, etch-a-sketches, tinker toys and lincoln logs.

[kentuck]

7. Great! I thought it was stuck ??

I can't wait to see those seashells it finds...:)

[burrowowl]

8. Some good news

for once. Grrreat!

[frogfromthenorth2]

9. I am so fascinated by that stuff... When I saw the NOVA special on

I was glued to my TV screen. This is an incredible achievment... and it makes you wonder about what we are going to be able to achieve in the future.

[Skittles]

10. this is very exciting

I can't wait to see what Spirit sees !