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Explanation: Will Spirit be able to free itself from soft ground on Mars? The robotic Spirit rover currently rolling across Mars ran into unexpectedly soft ground last month while exploring the red planet. A worry is that the ground is so soft that Spirit won't be able to free itself, will have to stay put and thereafter study what it can from its current position near an unusual martian land feature named Home Plate. Pictured above, the front left wheel appears to be primarily digging itself in when spun, while on the other side, the front right wheel no longer spins and is dragged by the five year old mechanical explorer. In the distance, rocks and rusty dirt fill the alien landscape in front of the distant Husband Hill. NASA continues to study the situation, and engineers and scientists have not yet run out of ideas of how to use Spirit's six wheels. Far across Mars, Spirit's twin Opportunity continues on its two year trek toward Endeavour crater.
Free Lecture:
An APOD editor will review great space images this Friday in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Spirit rover - Mars
Publications with words: Spirit rover - Mars
See also:
- APOD: 2025 April 13 B An Unusual Hole in Mars
- APOD: 2025 March 23 B Ancient Ogunquit Beach on Mars
- SuperCam Target on Maaz
- Full Moon, Full Mars
- APOD: 2025 January 15 B Wolf Moon Engulfs Mars
- APOD: 2024 December 3 B Ice Clouds over a Red Planet
- APOD: 2024 November 10 B Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars