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NASA ends effort to free rover from Martian sand

26 January 2010 23:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ziya Agazade â€“ APA. The Mars rover Spirit has logged nearly five miles during six years of rolling around the red planet. It has driven forward, backward and uphill over plains, plateaus, and even a mountain as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

According to APA citing â€œAssociated Pressâ€, NASA on Tuesday declared an end to Spirit’s roving career after repeated attempts to free it from a sand pit where it’s been stuck for nine months. With Martian winter approaching, the focus instead will turn to improving Spirit’s tilt so its solar panels can receive maximum sunlight.

Trying to look on the bright side, NASA said Spirit can still do research while stuck in place, provided it survives the winter. Scientists wasted no time drawing up new research priorities for the former rover, including studying the planet’s core, tracking the weather and examining the soil in detail.

Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, parachuted to opposite ends of the Martian equator in 2004. By poking into craters, drilling into rocks and driving across the bumpy surface, they discovered geological evidence that water flowed on the Martian surface eons ago.

Though Spirit can no longer trek to new destinations, Opportunity continues to hum along. It recently wrapped up its study of a rock and is headed toward a crater. It has recorded nearly 12 miles on its odometer.