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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Silica Soils Near Home Plate, Spirit Sol 935

Silica Soils Near Home Plate, Spirit Sol 935
Silica Soils Near Home Plate, Spirit Sol 935 When one of Spirit’s front-wheel motors failed, the rover had to drive backward and drag along the stuck wheel, creating shallow trenches. Near Home Plate, the trenches exposed nearly pure silica, a probable sign of fumaroles and hot springs that could’ve been a habitat for life. NASA / JPL-Caltech / Cornell / ASU