NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on the Red Planet 10 years ago this month and the space agency will celebrate the milestone with a live webcast event tonight. <\/p>\n
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004 to begin a 90-day mission that continues to this day. Spirit, which landed first, went silent in March 2010, but Opportunity is still exploring a decade after reaching the Red Planet. You can watch NASA's Mars rover webcast live here beginning at 10 p.m. EST (0300 Jan. 17 GMT, 7 p.m. PST), courtesy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. <\/p>\n
\"NASA's twin rovers launched separately in 2003 and landed three weeks apart in January 2004. They completed their three-month prime missions in April 2004 and went on to perform extended missions for years,\" NASA officials wrote in an announcement. \"Spirit and Opportunity made important discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable for supporting microbial life.\" [10 Amazing Mars Discoveries by Spirit & Opportunity] <\/p>\n
Tonight's 10th anniversary event will be held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and feature: <\/p>\n
You can also watch the Mars rover celebration directly from NASA here: http:\/\/ustream.tv\/NASAJPL<\/a> <\/p>\n 10 Years on Mars: Smithsonian Celebrates Spirit, Opportunity Rovers: Photos <\/p>\n If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can attend the event free of charge, though admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will begin at 7 p.m. local time in JPL's Beckman Auditorium on the California Institute of Technology campus, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, Calif. <\/p>\n Mars Myths & Misconceptions: Quiz <\/p>\n No planet is more steeped in myth and misconception than Mars. This quiz will reveal how much you really know about some of the goofiest claims about the red planet. <\/p>\n 0 of 10 questions complete <\/p>\n <\/p>\n View post:<\/p>\n NASA Celebrates Mars Rovers' 10-Year Mark Tonight: Watch Live @ 10 pm ET<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on the Red Planet 10 years ago this month and the space agency will celebrate the milestone with a live webcast event tonight. Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004 to begin a 90-day mission that continues to this day Continue reading