NASA ’s automatic geologist Opportunity is in truth the little robot that could . With the original mission designed to last for just three calendar month , on Saturday , February 17 , it will celebrate its 5,000th Martian twenty-four hours of action on the Red Planet .
Opportunity is solar - power so NASA was not expecting the military mission to survive the wintertime . This is why its elementary mission had a length of just 90 sols ( a sol is a Martian day ) . chance land on January 25 , 2004 , and proved to be a passel more resilient than expected ; a true will to the engine room capabilities of the squad behind it .
" We ’ve reach lots of milestone , and this is one more , " Opportunity Project Manager John Callas , of NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , said in astatement . " But more significant than the numbers are the geographic expedition and the scientific discoveries . "
The golf cart - sized rover has , in fact , last eight winter on Mars , contributing to important discovery on the composition of Rock and soil on the surface of the Red Planet . It has also taken about 225,000 images , which are all available to view for freeonline .
Within six week of operation , Opportunity had chance evidence that Mars used to have abundant water on its surface . It analyzed the composition of rock , highlighting the mineral composition and their origin . It also pitch the first ever thermic profile of the Martian atmosphere , as well as lead astronomical reflection contemplate the occultation of the Sun by Mars ’ two natural satellites , Phobos and Deimos .
" Five thousand sols after the scratch of our 90 - sol mission , this awesome rover is still showing us surprises on Mars , " added Callas .
chance was also the first endurance contest operate beyond Earth , reaching the42 kilometersmark back in 2015 . But it ’s traveling has not always been smooth gliding . For example , itwas once trappedin a sand dune for 38 sols , which researchers named Purgatory after it freed itself . The wanderer has now driven over 45 kilometers ( 28 mi ) from where it landed all the way to its current target , the Endurance Crater .
It ’s currently function down Perseverance Valley , a shallow channel in the western rim of the crater that goes from the crest all the way to the crater floor , where its study will continue . Although the rover has started showing mark of aging , there is still no death in sight for the missionary station .
