As Nasa scientists struggled to revive their ailing Mars rover, they also began to prepare for the landing of its twin, which is scheduled to touch down on the other side of the Red Planet late tonight.

THE Spirit rover successfully rolled onto Mars early yesterday, placing its six wheels on solid Martian ground for the first time since the robot bounced down on the red planet nearly two weeks ago.

Nasa commanded its Spirit rover to move off its lander today and on to the surface of Mars for the first time since the six-wheeled robot bounced down on the Red Planet nearly two weeks ago.

THE Spirit rover will spend another week parked on the spacecraft that took it to Mars, as cautious engineers work to clear a safe path for the six-wheeled robot to roll off and begin prospecting its rocky surroundings, NASA officials said.

Scientists will today start a final all-out attempt to locate Britain’s Beagle 2 Mars probe.

Scientists marvelled at crisp photographs of the surface of Mars while the NASA rover that took them switched from black-and-white to colour as it continued to send back images of the pancake-flat plain where it landed.

AFTER seven months of interplanetary travel, the search for life on Mars begins. NASA’s Mars rover, Spirit, rolled to a full stop on the surface of the red planet early yesterday morning.

SCIENTISTS are a step closer to discovering if there is life on Mars after stunning images of the red planet were beamed back to Earth.

Nasa’s Spirit rover probe landed on Mars today in search of signs that the planet was once capable of supporting life.