Posted: Sun, Jun 8, 2003, 12:40 PM ET (1640 GMT)
NASA announced Sunday that the twin Mars Exploration Rovers have been renamed Spirit and Opportunity. NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe made the announcement at a press conference Sunday morning along with Sofi Collis, the 9-year-old who submitted the winning names in a contest sponsored by LEGO and The Planetary Society. Collis, born in Siberia and adopted by an America family at the age of two, is a third-grader in Scottsdale, Arizona. The names were selected from nearly 10,000 entries by American K-12 students. The first rover, Spirit (formerly known as MER-A), is scheduled for launch Sunday afternoon at either 2:05:55 pm EDT or 2:44:07 pm EDT (1805:55 or 1844:07 GMT). However, there is a 60 percent chance weather, in the form of afternoon thunderstorms, will postpone the launch. Launch windows for Spirit continue through June 19; the second rover, Opportunity (formerly MER-B), is still scheduled for launch June 25.

Related Links:

•  Planetary Society press release