Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell Univeristy Ithaca takes part in a science briefing for the media.

Dr. Steve Squyres, of Cornell Univeristy, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) suite of science instruments, takes part in a science briefing for the media. NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. MER-A is scheduled to launch on June 8 at 2:06 p.m. EDT, with two launch opportunities each day during a launch period that closes on June 24.