JPL Says Goodbye to the Mars “Spirit” Rover

It was a “big deal” for NASA when two so-called Rovers landed safely on Mars. “Spirit” was supposed to be good for just three months and a few hundred yards, but it lasted for 6 years and traveled more than five miles—showing scientists that Mars might once have harbored what we on Earth refer to as “life.” But it hasn’t been heard from in more than a year, and yesterday scientists at the Jet Propulsion Lab sent their final command.