Space

'Spirit' not yet ready to roll

PASADENA, Calif. - An attempt to clear the Spirit rover's air bags from its path to the Mars surface has failed, and engineers are working on a last-ditch shot at removing the obstacle before choosing a more difficult route, NASA said Thursday.

Two sections of the air bags partly block the ramp the six-wheeled robot would follow if it rolled straight off its lander.

NASA had hoped lifting the ramp and further retracting the air bags would gather them inward and clear the path. That "lift and tuck" operation failed Wednesday.

If the final effort succeeds, Spirit could roll onto the ruddy dirt of Mars on Wednesday, its 12th day on the planet. Should engineers decide to take an alternate ramp, Spirit might not leave its lander until one to three days after that.

While parked, Spirit has completed a 360-degree, color panorama of its surroundings and transmitted 40 percent of it to Earth.

For more information, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov

CAPE CANAVERAL - The cabin pressure aboard the international space station dipped again Thursday and Mission Control said the air supply would be replenished in the next few days.

Flight controllers suspect a Russian-built air purifier may be venting air. The pressure had fallen to 14.03 pounds per square inch Thursday, still safe for the crew.

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