A MARSNEWS.COM EXCLUSIVE

In a stunning development, reports from NASA/JPL indicate that samples of the martian surface, possibly containing life- bearing materials, have been launched into orbit during two separate events from the twin Mars Exploration Rovers.

While initial reports are somewhat fragmented, it appears that each rover has utilized a solid rocket booster (located underneath its high-gain antenna) to launch rock and soil samples into a trajectory which is projected by JPL to result in an orbit around the Red Planet.