Article: Mars rover named for woman who spent good part of her life exploring new territory.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)

In neat, even handwriting, a 12-year-old girl explained why a solar-powered, six-wheeled robot whose mission was to explore Mars should be named after an outspoken African American slave.

``It's only logical that the Pathfinder be named Sojourner Truth because she is on a journey to find truths about Mars,'' Valerie Ambroise wrote in a contest to name the chunky vehicle, the star of NASA's landmark mission to explore the red, rocky planet.

Truth, the girl wrote, was ``a heroine to blacks, slaves and women. ... She went on many journeys and told many truths. She spoke with such eloquence that she moved people with simple words and understandings.''

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