[meteorite-list] Martian Reminder of a Pioneering Flight

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 14:27:59 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201505212127.t4LLRxLu008832_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4592

Martian Reminder of a Pioneering Flight
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
May 21, 2015

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is studying an elongated crater
called "Spirit of St. Louis" and a rock spire called "Lindbergh Mound"
within the crater.

The crater and several features in and near it are shown in a recent image
from Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam).

Throughout Opportunity's 11-plus years on Mars, the science team for the
rover has picked crater names from a list of "vessels of exploration,"
including ships, spacecraft and aircraft. The names informally assigned
for this crater and features in it refer to Charles Lindbergh's May 1927
flight from New York to Paris in the airplane he named Spirit of St. Louis,
the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis help lead the Opportunity
mission. A news release from the university describes the connection between
St. Louis and Lindbergh, at:

https://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/St.Louis-crater.aspx

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, manages the Mars
Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
For more information about Opportunity's exploration of Mars, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/rovers

and

http://mars.nasa.gov/mer


Media Contact

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-6278
guy.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

2015-174
Received on Thu 21 May 2015 05:27:59 PM PDT