Less than 40 000 KM to go!!! LOOK!!!! It's like flying a spaceship!

[frogfromthenorth2]

Image is real time simulated computer view of Mars by Opportunity (updated every 10 minutes)

[frogfromthenorth2]

1. Damn... this thing is flying over 5 KM (2 miles) a second!

[Gman]

2. This thing would then do well in Houston traffic

[frogfromthenorth2]

3. Update...Spirit and Opportunity

0235 GMT (9:35 p.m. EST Sat.)
As Opportunity's landing nears and engineers continue to examine Spirit's trouble, here are some words from NASA's space science chief Ed Weiler:

"I appreciate that by now you realize that landing on Mars is really tough and operating on Mars is even tougher, as we found out. We warned you of that three weeks ago (at Spirit's landing).

"Some of you and probably some of us have gotten used to success after success after success. But as we've have seen, exploration is a roller coaster. We've had the early ups and now we've had a down. It seems like we're back going up again. However, I can absolutely guarantee you there will be more downs and there will be more ups with both Opportunity and Spirit.

"However, what the last few days has proven to me is that we have got the absolute best team on Earth operating these (rovers)."

Traveling from NASA Headquarters in Washington to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for tonight's landing, Weiler thought he'd find a dark mood at JPL mission control given the ailing Spirit.

"I came here expecting to be literally at a funeral. I arrived here yesterday at 3 o'clock and things were looking pretty grim. But already last night things were looking a little bit better and then things got a lot better early this morning. There is a lesson in that."

This morning controllers were able to narrow the search for Spirit's ailment, giving officials renewed hope that the rover can resume its exploration of Gusev Crater in a couple of weeks.