NASA's Mars rover opportunity to "spirit points " of a large crater, the rover has been the long-term goal is trying to reach the last three years

NASA's Mars rover opportunity to "spirit points " of a large crater, the rover has been the long-term goal is trying to reach the last three years, jet propulsion laboratory side (JPL) said on Wednesday.

Time has come to the crater, progressive, crawl out from the Victoria crater in August 2008.

Have to drive 11 miles (18 km), car, about two miles (three kilometers) to go before reaching the edge of Endeavour, said in Pasadena, Los Angeles, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Rover team members last week selected as the opportunity on the edge of the crater Endeavour arrived at the scene in an informal name for the "spirit of the point. " Memorial's choice of vehicle pairs, the spirit, which has ended the communication and the completion of its mission.

"Spirit has achieved far more than we ever could have hoped, when we designed her, " Steve said, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, principal investigator on the detector Squires. "The name will be a reminder that we need to continuously push forward and do our best to make new discoveries and opportunities. In the point of exploration is the next major goal, as we strive for. "

Endeavour to provide a lot of fruitful work in the opportunity set. Diameter crater 14 miles (22 km) - more than 20 times, than Victoria Crater, a greater opportunity to review the past two years. Along the orbit to observe that the western edge of the exposed ridge of rock exposure ages than any chance have seen so far. Point is in the spirit of these ridges, a southern "Cape York, " on the march west.

Opportunity and Spirit in April 2004 to complete its three-month prime missions on Mars. The two Mars rovers continue to prize, to extend the mission years. The two sides have been in ancient Mars may have been wet to support the enabling environment for microbial life an important discovery.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology in charge of management of science missions of NASA, Washington, Mars rover project.

Posted in: NASA's Mars rover opportunity to "spirit points " of a large crater,the rover has been the long-term goal is trying to reach the last three years