Robotic space rovers keep getting stuck

Madison WI (SPX) Jul 25, 2025

When a multimillion-dollar extraterrestrial vehicle gets stuck in soft sand or gravel - as did the Mars rover Spirit in 2009 - Earth-based engineers take over like a virtual tow truck, issuing a series of commands that move its wheels or reverse its course in a delicate, time-consuming effort to free it and continue its exploratory mission. While Spirit remained permanently stuck, in the