Spirit

Overview

Spirit is a robotic rover that was sent to explore Mars as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission. Launched on June 10, 2003, and landed on Gusev Crater on January 4, 2004, Spirit was designed to seek evidence about whether Mars might once have been capable of supporting life. Equipped with a rocker-bogie suspension system for rolling over large rocks, the rover is capable of driving autonomously for short distances and is outfitted with panoramic cameras, navigational cameras, hazard detection cameras, and various scientific instruments including a mini-thermal emission spectrometer, microscopic imager, and rock abrasion tool.

Key facts

Payload

—

Reach

—

Speed

0.05 m/s

Weight

180 kg

IP rating

—

Battery

—

Power

—

Autonomy

semi-autonomous

Launch year

2003

Price

$820,000,000

Status

active