The Spirit and Opportunity rovers were sent to Mars in 2003, and they found some really important things that changed how we think about the planet.
Finding Water: Both rovers discovered strong signs that there used to be water on Mars. Opportunity found tiny round rocks, called "blueberries," that formed in water. Spirit found soil with a lot of sulfur, which means there was volcanic activity that interacted with water.
Mars' Rocks: Spirit looked around Gusev Crater and found rocks that suggested there used to be water there a long time ago. Opportunity explored an area called Meridiani Planum and saw layers of sediment, which scientists believe were created in water.
Long Missions: These rovers were originally supposed to work for just 90 days, but they did way better than expected! Opportunity ended up working for almost 15 years! Because of this extra time, both rovers collected a lot of important information about Mars' geology.
These missions have helped scientists learn a lot about Mars and have sparked even more interest in exploring the Red Planet!
The Spirit and Opportunity rovers were sent to Mars in 2003, and they found some really important things that changed how we think about the planet.
Finding Water: Both rovers discovered strong signs that there used to be water on Mars. Opportunity found tiny round rocks, called "blueberries," that formed in water. Spirit found soil with a lot of sulfur, which means there was volcanic activity that interacted with water.
Mars' Rocks: Spirit looked around Gusev Crater and found rocks that suggested there used to be water there a long time ago. Opportunity explored an area called Meridiani Planum and saw layers of sediment, which scientists believe were created in water.
Long Missions: These rovers were originally supposed to work for just 90 days, but they did way better than expected! Opportunity ended up working for almost 15 years! Because of this extra time, both rovers collected a lot of important information about Mars' geology.
These missions have helped scientists learn a lot about Mars and have sparked even more interest in exploring the Red Planet!