Hand it to Enn-Ey-Ess-Ey for building two sturdy sets of wheels:
NASA has funded another extension of [the Mars rovers'] mission — an additional six months, if they last.Word from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is that NASA has regained reliable contact with the rovers Spirit and Opportunity after a 12-day period in which Mars passed nearly behind the sun. The project manager says the rovers are "well past warranty" but are showing few signs of wearing out.
What have the rovers brought us? A wealth of geological information, stunning photography and a discovery of methane concentrations in water vapor that lends itself to dozens of theories — not the least of them being life on the Red Planet.