Mars exploration is a specialty at Washington University. If President Obama’s proposal for NASA to aim for a human landing on Mars by 2030 is enacted, University scientists would be part of this grand endeavor. Ray Arvidson, the James S.

NASA’s Spirit rover, part of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission, is currently spinning its wheels on Mars in an area scientists have named “Troy” after the besieged city in Homer’s Iliad. Spirit landed on Mars on Jan. 4, 2004, three weeks before its twin, Opportunity. Each rover had an anticipated mission span of 90 [...]

The Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched in the summer of 2003. Now, more than six years later, the two robot geologists are still running and collecting data on Mars, though their missions were expected originally to last only 90 days each.

McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, publisher of over 100 scientific papers, friend of Bill Nye, member of almost every mission that has involved both NASA and Mars, my four-year advisor: this is just a sparknotes version of the endless accomplishments of Wash. U.’s own Ray Arvidson. He is usually seen haunting the southwest corridor of the [...]