WASHINGTON (States News Service) -- Promising an ambitious course for Mars exploration after recent mission setbacks, NASA will send twin rovers to Mars in 2003 -- an unprecedented goal -- to roam the surface in search of ancient signs of water, the agency announced Thursday.

The identical, golf-cart-sized craft -- described as the "sport utility vehicle of Mars Rovers" -- will be launched within months (the first on May 22, the second on June 4) to radically different landing sites that each may contain signs of water.

Adding a second rover to Mars will bring "double the science at half the cost of the first mission," said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science Ed Weiler.

The full story: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/mars_rovers_000810.html

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), August 10, 2000

Answers

The Martians will be very pissed

-- (lars@indy.net), August 10, 2000.

Good news FF.

When Climate Orbiter & Polar Lander failed my heart sank.

2003? Yeah, I can make that.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), August 11, 2000.

They better make sure those Rovers do not have firestone tires.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), August 11, 2000.

If we can survive till then, 2003 should be interesting, "live" images from mars on the Internet!

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), August 11, 2000.