FIDO stands for Field Integrated Design and Operations. It is a rehearsal vehicle to
train Athena team members how to drive the Mars Exploration Rovers when they are on the surface of Mars. It carries
science instruments similar to those that will be part of the Athena payload
on MER. FIDO is placed "somewhere on Earth" and scientists are not told of the location. This is how they gain experience controlling a robot and
its instruments over unknown terrain.
For the August, 2002 FIDO Test,
Athena Student Interns worked alongside scientists and engineers.
Photo provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
