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First of Two NASA Probes Readies for Mars Landing

By Joe Palca

Published January 1, 2004 at 9:00 PM PST

This story was published more than 22 years ago.

The first of two NASA probes headed to Mars approaches the planet to look for signs of water. A second probe is scheduled to land later in the month. Both probes feature high-tech rovers to travel the Martian surface. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

National

Joe Palca

Joe Palca is a science correspondent for NPR. Since joining NPR in 1992, Palca has covered a range of science topics — everything from biomedical research to astronomy. From 2011 to 2020 he produced stories that explored the minds and motivations of scientists and inventors as part of his series, Joe's Big Idea. Palca is also the founder of NPR Scicommers – A science communication collective.

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