NASA has agreed to fund the Mars rover project for six more months, allowing the two robotic vehicles to continue to study the red planet.
Following an earlier extension, funding for the project was supposed to end Sept. 13, but on Tuesday NASA announced it would continue providing money so scientists could work with Spirit and Opportunity, the two robots driving around the surface of Mars.
The two robots have performed well-beyond the expected term of the project and likely will give a shot in the arm to the growing robotics industry. The project was originally expected to terminate in April after three months, but because the robots continued to function, NASA extended the project. Earlier this month, the rovers endured the climax of the Martian winter and lost contact with Earth for 12 days, but contact was recently recovered.
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