What was Spirit's total distance traveled on Mars?

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Spirit traveled a total of 7.73 kilometers on Mars. The rover landed in Gusev Crater on January 4, 2004, as one half of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission, alongside its twin, Opportunity.

Spirit’s planned primary mission was only about 90 Martian sols, or roughly 92 Earth days. Instead, it operated for years and covered far more ground than its original 600-meter driving goal. Its route included volcanic plains, hills, rocky outcrops, and terrain that proved considerably more difficult than Opportunity’s smoother landing region.

A common mix-up is reversing Spirit’s distance with Opportunity’s. Opportunity ended its mission after traveling 45.16 kilometers, while Spirit’s odometer total was 7.73 kilometers. Spirit eventually became embedded in soft soil in 2009 and sent its last communication on March 22, 2010; NASA ended recovery efforts in 2011.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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