12 Years of Opportunity ,The Little Rover that Could , Did , Has and Continues to do

It's a testament to NASA that a little remote controlled trolly on a planet 249 million miles away is still trundling along doing science 12 years after it arrived on its 3 month mission and over 5 years since the the loss of it's sister rover Spirit , it has suffered a few memory problems recently but haven't we all.

Opportunity has traveled 26.5 miles across the martian plains since touchdown and has yet more to travel , but until then here's the 26.5 miles in an an 8-minute time lapse to celebrate both the Rover's and NASA's achievement.


Happy Anniversary guys , great job.

That is a very cool video. It feels like it just got there a few years ago but it is amazing that it has been twelve years.

That video was amazing...

Good stuff.. star and flag..

That's the spirit...Oh wait

Nice job little guy...

Gorty,
Why are you trying to Pergatorize my life?
I mean....I'll only have to do it again when I die. Only joking. I tell you what though, I'll bet OPP has learned to say, " Yeah, stand down everybody....it's a rock"

Seriously though, how that thing has survived is pretty amazing, and if Richard Hoover is correct, it's the only space vehicle on another planet to find a fossil...until some tart in NASA scrubbed it out.

a reply to: gortex

Considering it was designed to only last 2 years. I'd say that is an impressive testament to the engineers at NASA. Drive it till the wheels fall of I say!

Originally the Curiosity mission was planned to last for two years. However, NASA are hoping to extend it indefinitely with the aim to operate the mission as long as it’s scientifically viable. Just how long the rover will be trundling along the martian surface is currently open for debate but NASA officials estimate a much longer period of 10, 12 or even 15 years.

Link

originally posted by: JAY1980
a reply to: gortex

Considering it was designed to only last 2 years. I'd say that is an impressive testament to the engineers at NASA. Drive it till the wheels fall of I say!

Originally the Curiosity mission was planned to last for two years. However, NASA are hoping to extend it indefinitely with the aim to operate the mission as long as it’s scientifically viable. Just how long the rover will be trundling along the martian surface is currently open for debate but NASA officials estimate a much longer period of 10, 12 or even 15 years.

Link

That's if the wheels hold out..but they should, Opportunity though is buzzing along nicely. Still, your right, the work done is impressive.

yep, they definitely got their monies worth out of that little thing, it`s a good thing that they didn`t buy a ford.

originally posted by: gortex
It's a testament to NASA that a little remote controlled trolly on a planet 249 million miles away is still trundling along doing science 12 years after it arrived on its 3 month mission and over 5 years since the the loss of it's sister rover Spirit , it has suffered a few memory problems recently but haven't we all.

Opportunity has traveled 26.5 miles across the martian plains since touchdown and has yet more to travel , but until then here's the 26.5 miles in an an 8-minute time lapse to celebrate both the Rover's and NASA's achievement.

Happy Anniversary guys , great job.

I remember the launch of this thing. And how they dropped it on mars surrounded by ballons. I didnt believe it then and I dont believe it now. NASA is and always was full of snip.

I think I still have the news clipping from '08 that reported Canadian insterments on the rover detecting snowfall. Tiny little artlcle on page 10. I guess it does snow on Devon Island...

Nifty 'lil guy. That video is terrific

a reply to: MALBOSIA

And how they dropped it on mars surrounded by ballons. I didnt believe it then and I dont believe it now. NASA is and always was full of snip.

Guess you don't believe Curiosity rover is on Mars either given it landed suspended from a sky crane.

If Opportunity isn't on Mars why bother to keep the lie going for 12 years ? , of course the answers is simple , it isn't a lie and the rovers are on Mars doing what they were sent there to do.

Sad thing is when you close your eyes to reality you miss the wonders that it brings.

a reply to: gortex

While that's a pristine example of appeal to ridicule and we can all appreciate it for it's humorous value, in reality this is logically fallacious. No one said anything about sky cranes, where did that even come from?

The US government has been known to lie. NASA is part of the government. Governments engage in propaganda. Therefore, NASA, as an extension of the government, is capable of lying about it's doings. On the other hand, you've suggested NASA is not lying because...why? Because it makes us feel better when we salute the flag? What's your basis? Keeping a lie going for 12 years isn't unusual. Plenty of people have cheated on their spouses for longer than that! The Russians still haven't fessed up to some of their less-successful spacefaring and that was decades ago.

a reply to: Greenfire

No one said anything about sky cranes, where did that even come from?

If you don't believe NASA sent Opportunity to Mars and landed it on the planet surrounded by airbags then what are the chances you'd believe they'd land a rover using a sky crane , surprised I'd have to point that out TBH.

On the other hand, you've suggested NASA is not lying because...why?

Because .... Evidence !
NASA is not the only space agency to have hardware at Mars plus the evidence is there to show they are NOT lying and the rovers are on Mars.

Because it makes us feel better when we salute the flag?

Not my flag , I'm British.