|Shadow cast by Spirit over Gusev tire tracks. Image Credit:
NASA/JPL Before moving on to explore more of Mars, NASA's Mars
Exploration Rover Spirit looked back at the long and winding
trail of twin wheel tracks the rover created to get to the top
of "Husband Hill." Spirit spent several days in October 2005 at
this location, perched on a lofty, rock-strewn incline next to a
precarious outcrop nicknamed "Hillary." The crest of "Husband
Hill" offered Spirit's views of possible routes into a basin to
the south with apparently layered outcrops. Shortly after Spirit
landed, it observed a cluster of seven hills about 3 kilometers
(2 miles) east of its landing site. NASA proposed naming the
range "Columbia Hills" in tribute to the last crew of Space
Shuttle Columbia. The tallest of the hills commemorates Rick
Husband, Columbia's commander. Researchers helped the rover make
several wheel adjustments to get solid footing before conducting
scientific analysis of the rock outcrop. The rock turned out to
be similar in ap