Contest will give names to Mars rovers

Friday, Jan. 17, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.

The two mars rovers that will be guided by a University of Nevada, Reno, scientist and a NASA team are subjects of a naming contest.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration kicked off its nationwide Name the Mars Rover contest this week. All entries must be in by Jan. 31 and officials will choose the best names for the two robotic rovers, which will land on the red planet in May and June.

Wendy Calvin, a planetary expert and mineralogist at UNR is one of 50 scientists on NASA's Rover science team. The exploration will search for answers about the history of water on Mars.

Anyone wanting to enter the contest can write NASA at P.O. Box 4419, Blair, NE 68009-4419. Contest winners will be announced in the spring.

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