Risky Mission to Mars

NASA will send its Mars rover Opportunity into a gaping Martian crater in July to seek clues about the planet's bygone environment despite risks to the plucky little vehicle.

Why risky? Because there is the chance the six-wheeled fact-gathering robot will be unable to handle the terrain inside Victoria Crater or get out once it gets in. Maybe the rover do not need all six wheels to maneuver on flat terrain, but the crater's rocky slopes could present unusual hazards.

Also a current dust storm in the region could make the situation even riskier. The dust could block out sunlight, preventing the rover from generating solar power. The storms can also bring menacing mini-tornadoes, known as dust devils, which recently created problems for NASA's other rover, Spirit.

The rover, originally intended to operate for three months, has kept going strong for 12 times as long. The scientists have carefully plotted its mission to explore Victoria's secrets to enable an eventual exit but acknowledge that the rover could become trapped inside or lose some capabilities.

Their opportunity to gather data on the composition of material in the crater's depths that may provide further evidence about an ancient environment on Mars that many experts think was wet and potentially habitable by at least microbial life forms.

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