NASA Ames Research Center has played an important role in many areas of the Mars Exploration Rovers Mission (managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena) including science operations, thermal protection, wind tunnel testing, landing site selection, mission support software, human-centered computing and fatigue countermeasures support.

NASA Ames Research Center supported some of the design, manufacture and test of the thermal protection systems (TPS) used on the Mars Exploration Rover aeroshell structure. The TPS protects the aeroshell, which contains components like the parachute, payload and rover, from the extreme heating caused by deceleration into Mars' atmosphere during the entry phase of the mission. NASA Ames' Arc Jet complex was used in qualifying the MER aeroshell TPS materials in a simulated high-temperature entry environment.

Ames-manufactured TPS material, known as SIRCA (Silicone Impregnated Reusable Ceramic Ablator), was attached to the back part of the aeroshell, called the backshell interface plate (BIP). SIRCA also was used to protect the three Transverse Impulse Rocket Systems (TIRS) located on the sides of the aeroshell. The SIRCA TPS material originally was developed at Ames and flight-tested during the successful July 4, 1997 Mars Pathfinder landing.

Congratulations to all of the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission Project Team!