1、continuedTECHNICAL PAPER ABSTRACTS:E a rth-Based Test and Evaluation for Mars LandersDr.Robert A.MitcheltreeThe Jet Propulsion Laboratory,California Institute of Technology,Pasadena,CaliforniaThe Mars Exploration Rover Project successfully landed two ro vers on Mars on January 4 andJ a n u a ry 24,2
2、 0 0 4.The Spirit Rover landed in Gu s ev Cra ter,an ancient impact cra ter thatmay have once been a lake.The Opportu n i ty ro ver landed on Meridianni Planum,a smoothplain ri ch with the mineral hematite that may have once been a shallow sea.The identica lro vers are mobile,robotic geologists equi
3、pped with science instruments to search for geologic signso f w a ter.T h ey continue the National Aero n autics and Space Administration Mars Pro gra msplan to“follow the water”as a path toward under s tanding the planets biologic pote n t i a l,c l i-m a te and re s o u rc e s.But bef o re these m
4、achines could conduct their inve s t i ga t i o n s,t h ey had toe n d u re the riskiest portion of the mission:Mars atmospheric entry,descent and landing.I TE A Jou rn a lT h eof Test and EvaluationDecember 2004/January 2005Volume 25,Number 4“ROBOTIC,UNMANNED&AUTONOMOUSSYSTEMST&E”FE ATU RE DFAC I L
