Troubled Spirit

Mars rover Spirit is in trouble, stuck in sand and unable to turn its solar panels towards the sun to gather enough energy for the coming Martian winter.

Built to last three months, it is now in its sixth year of operation. And even stuck in the sand, it can work:

"Spirit could continue significant research right where it is," said Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis, deputy principal investigator for the rovers. "We can study the interior of Mars, monitor the weather and continue examining the interesting deposits uncovered by Spirit's wheels."