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notes The Roving Mars extended production notes are coming soon! synopsis The mysterious Red Planet, Mars, has inspired countless science fiction dreams and nightmares. Now, for the first time, experience the reality of the Mars surface as seen through the eyes of two intrepid, death-defying explorers -- Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Rovers -- in the spectacular new giant screen adventure Roving Mars, exclusively in IMAX® Theatres. The phenomenal size and clarity of the IMAX® screen draws the viewer into a spectacular landscape that is at once awe-inspiring and amazing. And the suspenseful drama of the Rovers' dogged quest over the rugged terrain may even answer that persistently haunting question - Is there life on Mars? Produced by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Frank Marshall ("Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "The Sixth Sense," "Seabiscuit") and produced and directed by George Butler ("The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition," "Pumping Iron"), this film takes moviegoers on a fantastic journey unlike any that has ever been seen on the giant screen before. "Roving Mars" was written by George Butler and Robert Andrus, with narration written by George Butler. Multiple Oscar®-nominated composer Phillip Glass ("The Hours," "Kundun") adds to the excitement with his brilliant score. image_gallery The Mars Exploration Rover mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet.

Designed, built and operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (which manages these missions for NASA), the twin robot geologists Spirit and Opportunity launched toward Mars on June 10 and July 7, 2003, in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. They landed on Mars January 3 and January 24 PST (January 4 and January 25 UTC) 2004.

Seemingly touched with a load of luck from the giddy-up, Opportunity has been galloping since she strutted off of her lander, some 670 sols ago. A mission planned for 90 days has turned into an adventure that's lasted nearly two Earth years! With over four miles on her odometer, Opportunity has returned over 58,000 images. The ground covered and the science transported back across the void of space has helped us see into our planetary neighbor's alluringly watery past.

Spirit has also completed one martian year on Mars. The six-wheeled marvel the size of a golf cart has pursued a steady course of solar-driven geologic fieldwork, bringing back some 70,000 images and a new understanding of Mars as a potential habitat. time1 June/July 2003

Launch

June/July 2003 Both rovers were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on central Florida's Space Coast. Spirit ascended in daylight on June 10, 2003. Opportunity followed with a nighttime launch on July 7 after several days of delays for repairing cork insulation. For more Launch-specific information click here

time2 November/December 2003

Approach

November/December 2003 To ensure a successful entry, descent, and landing, engineers begin intensive preparations 45 days before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere. They call this preparation period the approach phase. For more Approach-specific information click here

time3 January 2004

Entry, Descent and Landing

January 2004 The entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase begins when the spacecraft reaches the Mars atmospheric entry interface point (3522.2 kilometers or about 2,113 miles from the center of Mars) and ends with the lander on the surface of Mars in a safe state. For more EDL-specific information click here

time4 January 2004

Rover Egress

January 2004 The rover egress phase is defined as the period of time following placement of the rover into a "safe state" after landing to driving the rover off of the lander onto the Martian surface. For more Egress-specific information click here

time5 January 2004 to ???

Surface Operations

January 2004 to ??? Surface Operations begin once the rover has completed its egress. The rovers were designed to last for 90 days on the martian surface. To date each of them have surpassed this 90-day duration by a factor of more than 6! You can follow what Spirit and Opportunity have been up to on a month-by-month basis by clicking here For current status of the rovers, click here

state_region1 countryregion1 - WESTERN U.S. Theater listings are coming soon! state_region2 countryregion2 - EASTERN U.S. Theater listings are coming soon! state_region3 countryregion3 - MIDWESTERN U.S. Theater listings are coming soon! state_region4 countryregion4 - SOUTHERN U.S. Theater listings are coming soon! jpl1 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/mariner3-4.html'); jpl2 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/viking.html'); jpl3 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/pathfinder.html'); jpl4 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/present/2003.html'); jpl5 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/present/2005.html'); jpl6 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/present/globalsurveyor.html'); jpl7 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/phoenix.html'); jpl8 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/msl.html'); jpl9 javascript:openLink('http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/futureMissions.html'); img6 NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its panoramic camera to take the images combined into this downward-looking mosaic view of the rover. img4 This is the first color image of Mars taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. img2 This image taken by the front hazard-avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover's robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. img8 This view in approximately true color reveals details in an impact crater informally named "Fram" in the Meridian Planum region of Mars. img1 This image, taken by the hazard-avoidance camera, shows Opportunity's rear view from its new position about 5 meters (16.4 feet) inside "Endurance Crater." img9 The panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took the hundreds of images combined into this 360-degree view, the "Husband Hill Summit" panorama. img7 This view from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows an outcrop called "Olympia" along the northwestern margin of "Erebus" crater. img3 This image, taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera, highlights the light-toned outcrop on the rim of "Erebus Crater" and large, dark, wind-deposited drifts that have filled the center of the crater. img5