What physical circumstance led to the permanent cessation of communication with the Spirit rover in 2011?
Answer
It became permanently stuck in soft soil at Troy and its solar panels became blocked by dust
The end of the Spirit rover's mission was gradual and directly related to its mobility and power systems. Spirit became permanently immobilized after driving into soft soil at a location subsequently named Troy. Despite prolonged efforts by mission control to rock the rover free, it remained stuck. Eventually, the accumulation of dust on its solar panels severely restricted its ability to generate sufficient power to operate, leading to a final loss of communication in 2011, after operating for over 2,200 sols.
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