Mars rover Spirit, hampered by a broken wheel, has failed to reach its
destination and will spend the Martian winter at an alternate site, scientists
said.
The solar-powered Spirit
was rolling toward the north-facing side of McCool Hill last month to recharge on some sunshine during the winter when its right front wheel stopped working.
After they failed three
times to get it to climb McCool, engineers steered Spirit to a closer slope
known as Low Ridge, where it arrived over the weekend and will spend the
winter, said principal scientist Steve Squyres of Cornell University on Monday.
It is not the first time
Spirit has had trouble with its right front wheel. The wheel previously had an episode of balkiness, but the latest problem is worse
because the motor that spins the wheel stopped working.
"We are anticipating it
will be a five-wheeled rover for the rest of the mission," he said.
After the wheel stopped
working last month, Spirit drove backward while dragging its broken wheel. But
the bad wheel kept slipping into a sandy trench on its way toward McCool, said
Jacob Matijevic, engineering team chief.
Although the alternate site
should provide enough sunlight for Spirit, it won't be as strong as it would
have received on McCool Hill, Matijevic said.
Engineers are considering
directing Spirit to McCool in the spring.
Spirit and its twin,
Opportunity, landed on opposite ends of Mars in January 2004. Opportunity is
making its way to the giant Victoria crater.
Spirit and Opportunity,
managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, have outlasted their primary
missions.
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