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April 18, 2003 Problem Delays Mars Rover Launch A potential problem has been discovered by NASA prompting a delay in the planned liftoff of the first of the two twin rovers heading to Mars beginning next month, setting back the launch of 'rover 1' by a week. A problem in the cabling between the main computer, the cruise stage, and the lander is the apparent culprit. The problem will require some disassembly of both spacecraft, which are at Kennedy Space Center, awaiting their launch aboard Boeing Delta 2 rockets from Launch Complex 17 at the Cape Canaveral Air force Station... This delay will not affect the launch date for 'rover 2', and will not affect the arrival date at Mars for either spacecraft...
February 12, 2003 Columbia Photo released by NASA A trio of researchers at the Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland Air Force Base used a 3 and 1/2 inch telescope, and an old Mac to take the photograph above, during Columbia's ill-fated re-entry. You can see a slight bulge in the left wing in the suspect area where Columbia had its troubles...This grainy photo was snapped as an amusement by three of the staff, using off the shelf equipment, and not the state of the art equipment at the Starfire Optical Range. Its significance was apparently not immediately recognized by the researchers, until later...
January 31, 2003 Two sites chosen for Mars Rovers Scientists at JPL have narrowed the proposed list of landing sites for the upcoming Mars rover missions from 185 to 2... Meridiani Planum, and Gusev Crater. The first rover is set to launch May 30 this year, and the second will follow on June 25. That will have the duo touching down on January 4 and 25 2004 respectively. The decisions on where to land are from a Science standpoint, and not safety. These two sites are where scientists hope to garner the 'best' science findings from, Meriani is a site which contains a vast amount of the mineral Hematite, and Gusev is believed to have been a lakebed, and both sites may give up clues as to Mars' ancient biology...
Upcoming Launch Schedule Now On Hold January 16, 2003 - STS 107 Columbia
March 1, 2003 - STS 114 Atlantis ISS ULF 1
April 15,2003 - Delta 2 Space Infrared Telescope facility
