CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Boeing Delta 2 rocket has successfully sped NASA's Mars rover Spirit out of Earth orbit to begin a seven-month journey to the Red Planet.
Finding a hole in cloudy skies over Florida's Space Coast, the three-stage booster lifted off at 1:58:47 p.m. EDT (1758.47 GMT) Tuesday.
Spirit is due to arrive at Mars on Jan. 24, 2004. Its twin rover spacecraft, now called Opportunity, is to be launched June 25 and arrive at the Red Planet on Jan. 25, bouncing onto the sandy surface with the help of parachutes, retro rockets and inflated balloons.