SCI/TECH: NASA says second Mars rover experiencing problems

As NASA scientists pored over strikin new photos from Mars revealing finely layered formations of ancient bedrock, engineers labored on Tuesday to diagnose problems with two robotic rovers on opposite sides of the Red Planet.

news.yahoo.com
Besides a serious malfunction that has idled the first rover, Spirit, since last Wednesday, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said they are now contending with a power drain on Spirit's newly arrived twin, Opportunity.

Seems odd to me that things keep happening. I think it's just too far of a distance with as far as the problem with communications is concerned.

[Edited on 27-1-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

I'd tend to put it down to unusual conditions on Mars -- the lowered amounts of sunlight, for one thing. I wish we had other probes enroute there. It's an intriguing puzzle.

It looks like Spirit is coming back online. It sent a photo this morning of its arm reached out at a rock. Who knows how long until it's fully functioning, but it's a good sign.