said it exploring a couple such as driving backwards and using Spirit's robotic arm to sculpt the ground directly in front of the left-front wheel, the only working wheel the arm can reach. The amount of energy that Spirit has each day however is declining as autumn days shorten on southern Mars, NASA stated.

NASA said it is currently analyzing results of a Jan. 13th attempt to move the spacecraft that involved a very slow rotation of the wheels. Earlier drives in the past two weeks using wheel wiggles and slow wheel rotation produced only negligible progress toward extricating Spirit, NASA stated.

If NASA cannot move Spirit, one remaining option would be to spin the wheels on the north side of Spirit, letting it dig in deeper in the Martian sand but improving the tilt of the rover’s solar panels toward the Sun. Spirit's tilt, nearly five degrees toward the south, is unfavorable because the winter sun crosses low in the northern sky, NASA stated.

Unless the tilt can be improved or luck with winds affects the gradual buildup of dust on the solar panels, the amount of sunshine available will continue to decline until May 2010. During May, or perhaps earlier, Spirit may not have enough power to remain in operation, NASA stated.