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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 23, 2004 Since You Asked Mars rovers keep going and going Whatever happened to those little mechanical guys exploring Mars? We heard a lot about the two robots crawling around the Red Planet for a long time, then they seemed to have disappeared off the radar screen. Did the Martians finally nab them? — M.M., Medford Although issues back on the third orb from the sun, from politics to the Iraqi war, have apparently kept many media Earthlings from looking up lately, Spirit and Opportunity continue their merry way on opposite sides of Mars, M.M. No signs of Martians yet. But, like good scientific tourists, both continue to snap photographs while periodically checking out soil and stones on the Red Planet, according to their handlers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Advertisement Opportunity is currently checking out the rim of a crater dubbed Endurance while providing information to NASA about whether it should send the robot into the crater. Spirit continues heading toward an area called Columbia Hills, a goal expected to be reached by mid-June. Although scientists initially expected the rovers to "live" only about three Earth months after landing in January, their missions have been extended because they seem to be weathering the Martian weather well, NASA reports. For a Martian update, check out the Web at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities