In article , Michael
Gallagher wrote:

The scientists didn't do MER. Scientists wanted to return to Mars for
years after Viking, and god knows enough rovers were tested. But
there wasn't a serious chance of that until the '90s; even then, the
go-ahead came from above them, not from some guys in lab coats saying,
"Yes, let's go."

MER was selected in 2000

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...jpl.nasa.go v

"Dr. Edward Weiler, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Science,
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC., announced today [Jul 27] that the
Mars Rover was his choice from two mission options which had been under
study since March."

[The decision to send two was made shortly afterwards]

It does seem to have been designed as a scientific tool, put through the
usual proposal system, and then had someone realise how incredibly,
well, telemetregenic it was g

Sojourner, yes, you can argue science was a bolt-on, but MER does seem
to have had science being the a strong driver - at least, as much as it
ever is for Mars probes :-). At the time MER was decided on, by the way,
the Mars 2001 lander had only recently [late March] been cancelled - it
had been going to fly a spare MPF rover.

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...jpl.nasa.go v

--
-Andrew Gray