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Saturday

Monday

New Mars Images Wow NASA

Scientists say the Mars rover known as Opportunity, which landed on the Red Planet late Saturday, has landed inside a small impact crater completely different from any other place explored by previous robots. Early images from Opportunity reveal the first bedrock outcrop ever encountered on Mars, as well as "bizarre red gray soil." Hear NPR's Joe Palca.

New Mars Images Wow NASA

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Sunday

Twin Rovers at Work on Mars

The robotic explorer Opportunity is hard at work on Mars after NASA's second landing in a month on the Red Planet. And engineers hope to restore control over Opportunity's malfunctioning twin rover, Spirit. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Joe Palca.

Twin Rovers at Work on Mars

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Second Mars Rover Lands

The second Mars rover, Opportunity, lands safely on the Red Planet and begins sending back data immediately. Its twin rover, Spirit, landed three weeks ago on the other side of Mars. Spirit has experienced software difficulties, but NASA engineers are slowly solving them. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Second Mars Rover Lands

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Saturday

Second NASA Rover Nears Mars

NASA's robot explorer Opportunity is nearing a landing on Mars. If all goes well it will touch down half a planet away from its twin, Spirit. The first rover landed three weeks ago and has developed communications problems after a promising start. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Joe Palca at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Second NASA Rover Nears Mars

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Friday

Mars Rover Phones Home

NASA's Mars rover contacts Earth Friday in a brief transmission. NASA officials did not detail the contents of the message, but call it a positive sign. Spirit had not sent back any useful data for two days, and numerous attempts to contact the rover had failed. Scientists are still trying to determine the nature of the malfunction. Hear NPR's David Kestenbaum.

Mars Rover Phones Home

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Status of Mars Rover Unclear

Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., make brief contact with the Mars rover Spirit. But it is still unclear whether the NASA team can restore the rover to regular operation, and there is evidence the rolling probe could have serious software problems. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Status of Mars Rover Unclear

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Digging for Dinosaurs in Antarctica

A discovery some 13,000 feet up a frozen mountain in Antarctic suggests the continent was once a pleasant place to live. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports that a team of researchers from Illinois have cut from the rock the bones of a huge, long-necked, long-tailed sauropod. See expedition pictures.

Digging for Dinosaurs in Antarctica

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Thursday

Mars Rover's Status Uncertain

NASA scientists say the Spirit Mars rover has stopped transmitting the reams of data it had been sending back to researchers on Earth. The rover's last meaningful communication with NASA scientists was about 7 a.m. Monday. Other signals have been either jumbled or incomplete. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.

Mars Rover's Status Uncertain

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Wednesday

Bush Offers Plan for Health Care Reform

President Bush's State of the Union address includes plans to overhaul the nation's health care system. The president calls for computerized health records, curbs on "wasteful and frivolous" medical lawsuits and tax breaks for those who buy their own health insurance. Economists say the proposals as a package could reduce costs. Hear NPR's Joanne Silberner.

Bush Offers Plan for Health Care Reform

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Saturday

Mars Rover Expands Horizons

The NASA rover Spirit extends its robotic arm to further explore the surface of Mars, seeking physical evidence that water once flowed over the planet's surface. A careful analysis of the soil near Spirit's landing site may provide that evidence. So far the mission is a success for NASA's engineers. Now the science team is awaiting big results. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Mars Rover Expands Horizons

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Friday

Microscopic Look at Mars Soil

Mission controllers plan to order the Mars rover vehicle Spirit to take its first photos with a microscopic imager. Thursday, Spirit successfully rolled off its lander, making direct contact with the Martian surface nearly two weeks after landing. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Microscopic Look at Mars Soil

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Dems in Dead Heat in Iowa

The latest Zogby tracking poll of voter's opinions of Democratic presidential nominees shows Sen. John Kerry with a slight edge over former front-runners Howard Dean and Richard Gephardt -- with Sen. John Edwards hard on their heels. Allowing for percentages of error, it's a statistical dead heat. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsin.

Dems in Dead Heat in Iowa

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