Educators are urged to apply for one of 14 spots in the internship program, with each teacher also recommending two students from their respective school. Applications are being accepted through March 31, and can be found available online at the Athena internship website. Only students in grades 9, 10, 11 are eligible.

"We really wanted to give students and teachers the opportunity to be directly involved in this Mars mission," said Cassie Bowman, the mission's coordinator for Mars robotic education. "It's a chance to watch the mission evolve from launch to landing."

Promoting student interest in space exploration, science and mathematics, and strengthening communication skills - which are crucial for any successful mission - are also goals for the program, she told SPACE.com.

The internship borrows its name from the Athena instrument packages aboard each of the two robotic rovers set to land on Mars. During the mission, each of the selected teacher-student groups will work with a mentor research scientist to focus on a different aspect of the expedition. Depending on the which mentor is assigned, students can participate in using the Mars rovers for science, learn how to study soil and rock samples and even assist the Athena principal investigator during press conferences or on day-to-day mission activities.

The internship runs for one year starting in April, and culminates in a week-long trip to JPL in Pasadena, California starting January 2004, when the rovers are due to make their Martian landings.

Bowman said NASA also used interns during the testing of its Field Integrated Design and Operations (FIDO) rovers, the Mars expedition will be the first to include high school student in a current mission.