NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe was at Epcot Future World Tuesday to demonstrate a prototype of the Mars Rover - the cart-like vehicle used by the space agency to investigate the surface of Mars.
The nation's top space official was joined by Sofi Collis, the Arizona fourth-grader who named the two Martian Rovers now in service.
The brief demonstration also gave Disney officials an opportunity to unveil O'Keefe's quotation "We're back … and we're on Mars," which will permanently adorn Epcot's Mission: SPACE attraction.
O'Keefe made the comment in January after the Spirit rover, a robotic geologist, safely touched down on Martian soil to explore the planet's rocky red surface. The successful landing of Spirit -- and the landing of its sister rover, Opportunity, a few weeks later -- gave a much-needed boost to NASA after the loss of space shuttle Columbia and its crew.
The ride opened last summer.
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By Christopher Boyd
Sentinel Staff Writer
April 6, 2004
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Brendan
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