No word from stuck NASA Mars rover Spirit

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

The odometer on the Mars rover Spirit has been stuck at 4.8 miles for more than 11/2 years and has been incommunicado since March.

This double dose of bad luck hangs over the scrappy spacecraft, which marks its seventh year on Mars today.

NASA doesn’t know if the Spirit is dead or alive, but it’s diligently listening for any peep as the rover remains mired in a sand trap.

A pair of Mars orbiters has been making daily overhead passes listening for a signal from Spirit, which became stuck in April 2009 while driving backward. After several attempts to free it were unsuccessful, Spirit got new instructions to conduct science observations while mired in the sand.

It suddenly stopped talking with Earth last March and is presumed to be in hibernation to conserve power.

Originally designed to roam around opposite ends of Mars for three months, Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, have lived long past their warranty. Spirit landed on the red planet Jan. 3, 2004, followed by Opportunity three weeks later. Both have uncovered geologic evidence of ancient water on the planet.

Opportunity so far has logged 16.4 miles and shows no signs of stopping.