Mars Rovers Moving After Winter Hibernation

jcasman writes to mention an article at Astronomy.com discussing the now on-the-move Mars rovers, which have been effectively in hibernation over the long Martian winter. Spirit has been stationary in the Columbia Hills area, just barely powered up and taking the finest panoramic shot of the planet to date. On the other side of the world, Opportunity has been skulking around the Victoria crater. Scientists have been getting to know the area before attempting to send Opportunity into the geographical feature itself. "Opportunity now is traversing Victoria's rim, and mission scientists are naming features they find after places visited by Ferdinand Magellan and his crew during the first circumnavigation of Earth. (Victoria Crater itself is named after the lone ship that completed Magellan's quest.) [Steve Squyres of Cornell University] and his team are committed to driving Opportunity into the crater eventually, if they're sure the rover will be safe -- in other words, that they can get it out again. Squyres is confident they can, and he thinks it will be sooner rather than later."

Comments

I need a cigarette

[L. VeGas]

Thanks, Slashdot.

Opportunity has been skulking around the Victoria crater.

Opportunity now is traversing Victoria's rim, ... ... driving Opportunity into the crater ... ... they can get it out again You just made my Friday.

NASA reports...

[dedazo]

... that after the first attempt to move the rover without success, they pointed the camera down and realized that the little guy was propped up on four cinder blocks...

McMurdo Panorama

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's that finest panoramic shot in Quicktime VR format: http://www.fotoausflug.de/en-mars.html

Things have really changed in space exploration

[cyberbob2351]

Man's first words on another world:

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
Machine's

Hello world.