Oppurtunity Rover: 2004-2019

I'm sure most of you know that the Mars Opportunity Rover has gone forever silent. In June of last year, the rover became trapped in a months long dust storm, preventing its solar panels from charging the unit. Since that time, NASA has been trying to regain contact with our brave robotic friend, but his mission has finally ended after 15 years. Oppy's last message was "My battery is getting low and it's getting dark".

I know, it's just a robot. But it's actually more than that. It's a symbol of mankinds remarkable capabilities when put to good use. Originally slated for a 90 day mission, it turned into a 15 year conquest of our imagination. It travelled a total of 28 miles, which doesn't seem like much except that it did so 40 million miles from home.

The following link provides an interactive field trip of sorts that follows the path the rover took on its long and lonely journey.

NASA's Opportunity Rover

From the link provided, here are some pictures of the little guy in action!



Selfie time!







Goodbye old friend!...Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

a reply to: Assassin82

It drifted of in the storm and fell off the edge into space...

Totally exceeded expectations.

RIP little robot, you can join the rest of the smashed up and dismantled hardware .. or rocks strewn around the place.

You bastard!!!

Did you have to go and anthropomorphise him, now I feel sad.

Im just imagining the poor little guy stuck up there all alone, cold, hungry thinking to himself "what did I do wrong? why isnt anyone talking to me or helping me?"

Can we organise a mission to save him?

Driving an R/C car 40 million miles away and I still can’t get WiFi to reach in the back bedroom? Thanks a lot Obama.

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
You bastard!!!

Did you have to go and anthropomorphise him, now I feel sad.

Im just imagining the poor little guy stuck up there all alone, cold, hungry thinking to himself "what did I do wrong? why isnt anyone talking to me or helping me?"

Can we organise a mission to save him?

originally posted by: TexasTruth
Driving an R/C car 40 million miles away and I still can’t get WiFi to reach in the back bedroom? Thanks a lot Obama.

Have you tried lining your walls in tinfoil so the wifi signal from your router moves through the house more freely and unobstructed? Also, keeps the aliens from listening to your thoughts.

I try and pay attention to all the Mars missions, Opportunity has done a lot and probably still could

Question for the boffins, say another storm hit, only this time it resulted in the sand being blown off the rover, is this simply a case of getting the solar panels operating again?

Honestly I would love for someone like Elon Musk to send a BFG to Mars, scoop him up, and let generations of humanity honor it at the Air & Space museum. If I could see that happen in my lifetime...it would be a good lifetime.

originally posted by: Assassin82
NASA's Opportunity Rover

From the link provided, here are some pictures of the little guy in action!

R.I.P. Opportunity.



It should be noted that this image linked in the story is an artist's impression:


And this image is not of Opportunity, but of the InSight Lander. The copper-looking hexagonal dome is part of InSight's seismic equipment, meant to be placed on Mars' surface (and has been placed).

I'll organize a Gofundme to bring it back...

a reply to: Assassin82


Godspeed Opportunity you were the moon landing to my generation.

I have always been taught that wind on earth was caused by tidal actions and air moving from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.
So my question what causes wind on Mars?
Looks like Mars has an air pressure of 1% of earths but can have 60 mph winds on a dead lifeless planet.
Also Mars has a atmosphere 100 times less dense than Earth's atmosphere. So I would assume there would be little high pressure areas if any.

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: Assassin82
NASA's Opportunity Rover

From the link provided, here are some pictures of the little guy in action!

It should be noted that this image linked in the story is an artist's impression:

And this image is not of Opportunity, but of the InSight Lander. The copper-looking hexagonal dome is part of InSight's seismic equipment, meant to be placed on Mars' surface (and has been placed).

Thanks for clarifying that. To be honest I’m a casual space fan. I know there are a plethora of far more knowledgeable space folks on ATS than me. I just hadn’t seen anything posted yet and felt we owed it to the little guy to have something for him.

originally posted by: watchitburn
I'll organize a Gofundme to bring it back...

I’m in! I wonder how long it would take to raise $6 billion or so?

a reply to: Assassin82

I saw that the last transmission from Rover was "My battery is low.... It is getting dark"

I wanted to cry.

Maybe some not too distant day from now we can retrieve Rover and put him on display in the Smithsonian. School children from all over can touch him and learn his story.

a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

Did you have to go and anthropomorphise him, now I feel sad.

IKR.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

who took the picture?

a reply to: Assassin82

i've seen many docus about your journey. you show us the best side of human kind. i know you don't care about all the lunatics believing you never left earth. sleep well little robot.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

who took the picture?

For the artist's representation, there is no picture to take (although maybe the background images of the planet are based on real images? maybe?)

For the picture of InSight, InSight took the picture.