The plucky master of Mars, the Spirit Rover, is hopelessly stuck in a sand trap.

NASA scientists made the announcement in Washington, but made sure to say that the mission is still not over.

“Spirit is not dead; it has just entered another phase of its long life,” said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We told the world last year that attempts to set the beloved robot free may not be successful. It looks like Spirit’s current location on Mars will be its final resting place.”

Designed for a 90-day mission, the Spirit Rover has been on borrowed time for more than five years already. And still, the rover keeps on working.

Now the Spirit will study how Martian winds affect sand particles and study nearby soil, giving clues to Mar’s past and the future of mars missions.

[Via NASA]