July 17, 2003

This evening at 10:30 PM Central Daylight Time the MARS-1 Humvee Rover drove into camp for the first time after it's incredible journey. A journey that began on May 14, 2002, when the refurbished Humvee rolled out of AM General's plant in Mishiwaka, Indiana. From there it was brought to Moffett Field at NASA Ames Research Center where the U.S. Marines shipped it by a C-130 plane to Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada last summer. This past May it was then driven from Resolute Bay across the Wellington Channel, a 23 mile (37 km) stretch of treacherous sea ice separating Cornwallis Island and Devon Island. It was positoned at Cape McBain on the edge of Devon Island until last week when a team was flown to its location and drove it to base camp this evening.

The MARS-1 Humvee Rover trials are expected to begin in earnest shortly. The rover has already had a series of adventures on Devon Island which Pascal Lee will relate fully in the next week.

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