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NASA Concedes Defeat In Effort To Free Spirit Rover

Posted by kdawson on from the beat-ninety-days-by-a-bit dept.

An anonymous reader writes "NASA has conceded defeat in its battle to free the Spirit rover from its Martian sand trap. The vehicle became stuck in soft soil back in May last year and all the efforts to extricate it have failed. NASA says that Spirit, which landed on the Red Planet over six years ago, will 'no longer be a fully mobile robot,' and has instead designated the once-roving scientific explorer a stationary science platform."

2 of 250 comments (clear)

  1. Send Opportunity by ATestR · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What's the big deal... all they have to do is route the Opportunity rover over to tow Spirit out of the sand.

    --
    âoeAny society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
  2. We need less science, and more engineering by Rix · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Or at the very least, less pure science and more practical, applicable science.

    Yes, whether or not there was ever life and/or water on Mars are very interesting questions, but they won't pay the bills. We should be looking for valuables and other means to support self sustaining installations and then do the pure science on the side.