NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is
enhancing the availability of all Mars rover images for
students and the public by distributing them via the
Internet. The images can be viewed on the NASA Web site at
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Web site MarsQuest Online at http://www.marsquestonline.org/mer

The sites allow anyone with an Internet connection to
participate in the adventure of Mars exploration. MarsQuest
Online is making the full set of images from Spirit and
Opportunity available for public viewing, along with daily
updates, in an integrated exploration and education
environment. The site is a powerful example of inquiry-based
learning and public engagement in the thrill of exploration
and discovery.

Dr. Eric De Jong of JPL heads the Science Data Visualization
and Modeling team that produces images of the rovers and the
martian surface. He’s also the
co-principal investigator for MarsQuest Online. “This is
NASA’s vision of 21st century exploration through the
Internet, a shared experience of scientists, students and
the public. The rovers’ eyes are our eyes, and MarsQuest
Online puts these eyes on your desktop.”

MarsQuest Online enables the public, educators and students
to gain a sense of what it’s like to explore another world.
According to Principal Investigator Daniel Barstow,
MarsQuest Online was created “to provide the public with a
highly engaging and interactive experience while learning
about Mars by directly exploring it, just as the scientists
do.”

Students are able to learn more about the red planet by
examining the most recent panoramic views of the two landing
sites and the images of rocks and soil investigated by the
instruments on the rovers’ robotic arms. They can also
follow the progress of the twin robotic field geologists as
they navigate around the martian surface. Students will
learn information about Mars and the search for water
through an array of learning activities, such as an
interactive feature that allows users to control 3-D virtual
flyovers of prominent martian landform features. These
activities support key elements of the National Science
Education Standards, including core concepts of Earth and
space science.

Adults will appreciate the site, with its daily updates and
its intuitive point-and-click interface. Each image is
visually organized so novice and expert users can easily
navigate across the martian landscape through the eyes of
the rovers. The site also provides current news about
important scientific findings.

With support from the National Science Foundation,
Arlington, Va., MarsQuest Online was built in close
collaboration with NASA’s Mars visualization team. It
extends the power of NASA’s very popular Mars Web site [http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html] exploration environment for the images.

“The design of MarsQuest Online is based on extensive
research on the most effective methods of using images and
visualizations as tools by students and the general public,”
said Barstow, who also serves as director of the Technical
Education Research Center (Terc) for Science Teaching and
Learning in Cambridge, Mass. Barstow emphasized that
“research findings show that most people can grasp concepts
more quickly and intuitively by interacting with visual
imagery than by simply reading text. With MarsQuest Online,
students experience authentic science, venturing into the
unknown, asking questions and pursuing answers.”

MarsQuest Online is funded by the National Science
Foundation Informal Science Education Division and developed
through collaboration between the Technical Education
Research Center, the Space Science Institute in Boulder,
Colo., and JPL.

The Technical Education Research Center is a non-profit
educational research and development organization that
specializes in inquiry-based science, math and technology
education. The Space Science Institute is a science and
education research and development organization that created
the traveling MarsQuest museum exhibit associated with
MarsQuest Online.

JPL manages the Mars Exploration Program for NASA and
provides the technical expertise on Mars rovers and the
rover imaging systems. Internet mirroring support for high-
bandwidth use of this site is provided by the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., and
the San Diego Supercomputing Center.

For more information on the Mars Exploration Rover mission http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html own 3-D images of Mars images, see
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features/3d.cfm