With the six-wheel Martian rover Spirit finally talking to its controllers at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena (CA) again, and its twin rover, Opportunity having rolled off its landing vehicle, two vehicles are exploring the Red Planet at the same time -- a historic first. "We're two for two! One dozen wheels on the soil," flight director Chris Lewicki announced to the packed control room at 12:30 a.m. PST Sunday. Both rovers are equipped with onboard analytical laboratories that allow them to take samples of the Martian surface and decipher their contents. But already, JPL scientists say the rovers have confirmed what was suspected all along: a geographical formation called hematite, which forms when water erodes iron-rich rocks.

(Last week, ANN reported that Boeing actually turned a profit in 2003 -- thanks in large part to a tax refund for Uncle Sam. While that may sound like good news on the surface, the boys over at Motley Fool see it from a different angle. -- ed) Aircraft and defense giant Boeing reported its annual results with earnings of $1.11 billion dollars. These earnings are just about double last year's results. Investors who consider this particular outcome as being meaningful will be in error, however. From an analytical perspective, this number is the next best thing to worthless, so let's view it, admire it, and move on.

Boeing's Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power unit successfully completed hot-fire testing of an RS-88 rocket engine at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville (AL) this week. The 50,000-pound-thrust engine was designed and built by Boeing for use on Lockheed Martin's Pad Abort Demonstration (PAD) vehicle, scheduled for launch in late 2005. The vehicle will carry four RS-88 engines. A series of 16 hot-fire tests were conducted adding up to 53 seconds of firing, including multiple full-duration six-second burns.

Aero-Note: Every time I read this e-mail from Laurel Clark, sent just days before she ascended to heights unimaginable, my eyes mist over and there is pain in my chest... But I must offer this amazing missive once again, a year after the tragedy that robbed young Iain Clark of his beloved Mother because, "She knew the journey was more important than the destination." God Bless Her and all those aboard Columbia...--Jim Campbell, ANN E-I-C HELLO FROM ABOVE our magnificent planet Earth. The perspective is truly awe-inspiring. This is a terrific mission and we are very busy doing science round the clock. Just getting a moment to type e-mail is precious so this will be short, and distributed to many who I know and love...

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