1
00:00:06,150 --> 00:00:03,189
nasa mission controllers have not heard

2
00:00:09,430 --> 00:00:06,160
from the mars exploration rover spirit

3
00:00:12,070 --> 00:00:09,440
since march 22nd and the rover is facing

4
00:00:14,709 --> 00:00:12,080
its toughest challenge yet trying to

5
00:00:17,189 --> 00:00:14,719
survive the harsh martian winter

6
00:00:20,150 --> 00:00:17,199
the rover team anticipated spirit would

7
00:00:22,470 --> 00:00:20,160
go into a low power hibernation mode

8
00:00:25,029 --> 00:00:22,480
since it was not able to get a favorable

9
00:00:27,509 --> 00:00:25,039
slope for its fourth martian winter

10
00:00:29,669 --> 00:00:27,519
which runs from may through november

11
00:00:31,990 --> 00:00:29,679
the low angle of sunlight during these

12
00:00:33,910 --> 00:00:32,000
months limits the power generated from

13
00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:33,920
the spirit solar panels

14
00:00:38,869 --> 00:00:35,920
during hibernation the rover suspends

15
00:00:41,350 --> 00:00:38,879
communications and other activities so

16
00:00:43,430 --> 00:00:41,360
available energy can be used to recharge

17
00:02:15,030 --> 00:00:43,440
and heat batteries and to keep the

18
00:02:17,750 --> 00:02:16,070
it's been

19
00:02:19,510 --> 00:02:17,760
in hibernation

20
00:02:22,710 --> 00:02:19,520
or frozen

21
00:02:25,110 --> 00:02:22,720
we don't know and we're now coming into

22
00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:25,120
more and more sunlight so spirit

23
00:02:29,350 --> 00:02:27,440
should be building its batteries and

24
00:02:30,229 --> 00:02:29,360
maybe we'll have the capability to talk

25
00:02:31,509 --> 00:02:30,239
to us

26
00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:31,519
it's also seeing the coldest

27
00:02:35,110 --> 00:02:33,040
temperatures it's ever seen in this

28
00:02:36,550 --> 00:02:35,120
whole lifetime in the six plus years has

29
00:02:38,630 --> 00:02:36,560
been on mars

30
00:02:40,150 --> 00:02:38,640
so when you get something really really

31
00:02:42,790 --> 00:02:40,160
cold

32
00:02:44,390 --> 00:02:42,800
things might break and so we're not sure

33
00:02:47,030 --> 00:02:44,400
when it starts building up its power

34
00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:47,040
again and in theory it would have enough

35
00:02:51,270 --> 00:02:48,640
power to communicate

36
00:02:53,270 --> 00:02:51,280
back with us we're not sure if

37
00:02:55,750 --> 00:02:53,280
everything survived over the next six

38
00:02:58,070 --> 00:02:55,760
months plus we're going to be listening

39
00:03:00,309 --> 00:02:58,080
and hoping that spirit revives gets

40
00:03:02,309 --> 00:03:00,319
enough energy and is able to communicate

41
00:03:03,830 --> 00:03:02,319
with us there's science for it to do

42
00:03:05,190 --> 00:03:03,840
without even having to get out of the

43
00:03:06,869 --> 00:03:05,200
hole that it's in

44
00:03:08,550 --> 00:03:06,879
and we're just hopeful that it survived