spacetoday.net: Opportunity climbs out of crater

Posted: Tue, Mar 23, 2004, 10:30 AM ET (1530 GMT)
Mars Exploration Rover (NASA/JPL)

After one failed attempt, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Monday climbed out of the crater it had landed it nearly two months ago. The rover had planned to roll out of the shallow crater, named Eagle, on Sunday, but couldn't gain enough traction to climb up the 16-degree slope of the crater near the rim. On Monday the rover made a second effort, taking a more diagonal approach, and successfully crossed the rim onto the flat, open terrain surrounding it. Controllers plan to direct the rover towards a larger crater several hundred meters away. NASA also is planning a press conference for Tuesday afternoon to announce a "major new discovery" made by Opportunity while studying the rocks and soil within Eagle Crater.