Robotic space probes have opened a whole new frontier for mankind. Naked Science followed the construction, journey, and eventual arrival of the two biggest probe missions ever to be launched into our heavens, the Cassini–Huygens space research mission, and the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.
Both reached their destinations in 2004 – one mission was to explore Mars in our planetary backyard, whilst the other was to travel across our vast solar system to the ringed planet Saturn and its mysterious moon Titan.
Probes come in different forms. Some are built to just fly great distances past planets and moons collecting data, some are designed to orbit like giant satellites, and some are programmed to actually land and probe the surface and atmosphere of another planet