Mars rover to be put to sleep

Scientists plan to put one of the twin Mars rovers to sleep and limit the activities of the other robot to fulfill a Nasa order to save £2 million.

The news comes amid belt-tightening at the US space agency, which is under pressure to juggle Mars exploration and projects to study the rest of the solar system.

The solar-powered rovers Spirit and Opportunity have dazzled scientists and the public with findings of geological evidence that water once flowed at or near the surface of Mars long ago.

Both rovers were originally planned for three-month missions at a cost of £410 million, but are now in their fourth year of exploration.

It costs Nasa about £10 million annually to keep the rovers running.

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