Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (CA) were getting ready Friday to roll the Mars rover Opportunity off its lander, as its beleaguered twin, Spirit, began transmitting scientific data for the first time in more than 10 days. Spirit's problems were apparently solved when JPL engineers deleted about 1700 "non-essential files" from its internal drive. They then rebooted the rover's computer and returned it to normal operating mode, whereas before, it had been in "crippled" or safe mode. In the meantime, Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity, was being readied to leave its lander at 12:30 a.m. EST Saturday morning. Compared to the obstructions Spirit faced, Opportunity appears to have a clear path to its first destination.

After more than two years of deep, painful payroll cuts, Boeing may finally be on the mend. Seattle's KIRO TV says the aerospace manufacturer predicts at least a year of stable employment.