NASA has been agonising over how to free Spirit from a sand trap for six months. That’s double the design lifetime of the rover, which landed in 2004. Now, with winter on the way, NASA’s hand is forced. Its plan is to backtrack slowly out of the mire (see “Mars rover to begin risky escape attempt”). One could criticise the agency for investing too much effort in a mission that’s past its prime, but that would be churlish: Spirit has achieved more than anyone dared dream, and could deliver yet more. Besides, it would seem strangely cruel to abandon…
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