Trapped in sand in an area of Mars named Tartarus after an underworld dungeon in Greek mythology, the golf-cart-size NASA exploratory rover was dangerously low on power and crippled by a dragging, useless wheel.
With the brutal Martian winter quickly approaching, Spirit faced almost certain doom if it couldn't get free and find a safe haven.
At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, mission manager John Callas was noticeably worried.
"For Spirit, this could very well be the worst situation she has ever experienced," he said with the tone of a worried father.
Then, after several days of erratically moving mere inches, the rover broke free of Tartarus on Nov. 28 and started rolling feebly toward a protective rocky area known as Winter Haven 3
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