Not Giving Up The Ghost: Mars Spirit Rover Lives

NASA had not heard from the 5-year-old Martian rover for four days. Just when engineers feared having to give up the ghost, the aptly named robot radioed back to Earth on Thursday that it survived.

Engineers shouted "she's talking," at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif. They were afraid that a dust storm had drained Spirit's solar batteries, triggering it to shut down. Spirit's batteries are low, but working.

Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, are living long past their planned three months on Mars. - AP