NASA to test instrument on Mars rover

NASA has issued a news release announcing its decision to temporarily suspend activity on one of the instruments aboard Mars rover Opportunity. The instrument, a mini thermal emission spectrometer, which identifies minerals, is having problems providing data to scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The article said that Opportunity's other instruments all appear to be in good working order.

Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, have been exploring Mars since landing in January 2004, and have operated more than four times longer than their projected functional lifespans.