Another Mars probe is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet this month. The Phoenix Mars Lander will descend to Mars' northern ice cap, where it will probe the ice for evidence of conditions that may have supported life. Unlike the recent Pathfinder and Spirit/Opportunity rovers, which were encased in large airbags and touched down by bouncing, the Phoenix Mars Lander will employ the more conventional (but riskier) retro-rocket landing technique. Tune in to NASA TV on May 25 to see geeky people staring at computer screens and, if all goes well, screaming, crying and hugging awkwardly.
Speaking of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, both continue to explore Mars, having been there since January 2004. They ran through their 90-day warranty period long ago. Opportunity has been on Mars for 1523 days so far, having traveled more than 7.25 miles. A small motor in the shoulder of its robotic arm has begun to stall on a regular basis, which may limit the science that can be performed by the rover by limiting side-to-side motion of the arm, but the rover otherwise remains functional.
Spirit has been on the planet's surface for 1543 days, in which time it has traveled over 4.7 miles. Spirit has generally been the more troubled of the two rovers, but continues to function, providing images and geological analysis of its surroundings.
Both rovers have proven to be remarkably capable and durable, yielding a wealth of information about Mars. The rocket and geological scientist geeks have done themselves proud.
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