Question

In January 2004, NASA landed two remotely controlled rovers on the surface of Mars. The rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, were sent to explore the Martian surface and geology. Scientists hoped to learn about the geological composition of Mars to determine how it was formed, as well as search sites for future landings – perhaps even for manned missions! The rover missions were only planned to last 90 days, but Spirit was active until 2010 and Opportunity finally became disabled in 2018. Describe one part of this mission that would be considered science and one part of this mission that would be considered technology.

Answer 1

The science aspect of the Mars Exploration Rovers' mission was to analyze the geological composition and history of Mars, while the technology aspect involved the design and functioning of the rovers Spirit and Opportunity for exploration and data communication.

Step-by-step explanation:

In January 2004, NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were part of a mission to explore the Martian surface and geology. The science part of this mission included analyzing the geological composition of Mars to understand its formation and the past presence of water, as evidenced by rock formations and mineralogy. As for the technology aspect, it involves the design and engineering of the rovers themselves, which were equipped to travel across the Martian landscape, survive the harsh environment, and communicate data back to Earth. The rovers far exceeded their planned mission duration, with Spirit active until 2010 and Opportunity until 2018, providing valuable data about Mars for an extended period.