Engineers drove the Spirit rover backwards after its right-front wheel failed, causing the dead wheel to scrape through the soil and uncover bright silica.

Mars

Who

Spirit rover engineers

What

When

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:30:17 GMT · 20h 24m ago

Where

Mars ·

Why

The right-front wheel of the Spirit rover stopped turning on March 13, 2006, necessitating a change in driving strategy.

The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

The discovery of bright silica pointed to the existence of ancient hot springs on Mars, providing evidence of past geological activity.

Story chain

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Verified Sources & Citations

Space Daily
https://spacedaily.com/t-spirit-dead-wheel-silica-hot-springs-steam-vents/
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