My, how the time goes. It seems like just a little while ago we thought you two wouldn't make it to your first birthdays.
That's right, the little rovers that could are still going strong, several million miles away on Mars. Spirit turns four tomorrow, and her twin, Opportunity, celebrates the same birthday three weeks later.
The rovers weren't expected to last even six months, but look at them now! Last summer, scientists feared that massive dust storms would disable them both, despite the rovers being located far away from each other. Opportunity, rolling around near the Martian equator, took the brunt of it. But Spirit has not gone without challenges, breaking a wheel a couple years ago. That "disability" actually enabled it to dig up nearly pure silica, which helped to prove that water once flowed in the area.
And of course, they've taken some fantastic photos during their time on Mars.
So, happy birthday, Spirit. And Opportunity, a happy birthday to you too, coming up. Hopefully, there'll be several more to celebrate.
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