NASA bids farewell to the Opportunity Rover, after a 15 year mission

NASA launched the Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity in 2003, and both rovers have contributed immensely to our understanding of the red planet, including its atmosphere, topography, geology and shed light on a pertinent question - whether life ever existed on Mars.

The rovers were sent on a mission that was planned to last about 90 days. However, both of them far exceeded their planned duration, thanks to the amazing engineering skills of the team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Spirit rover lasted for over 5 years before getting stuck in a sand trap in 2009. Opportunity, however, kept soldering on for an astounding 15 years covering over 28 miles and exploring multiple craters, mapping the terrain and collecting a treasure trove of information about our cosmic neighbor.

However, in June 2018, the rover stopped communicating with operators at JPL. Opportunity initially was instructed to turn itself off and go into hibernation each night in an effort to save energy. However, a massive dust storm on mars reportedly covered its solar panels in thick dust, rendering it unable to recharge its batteries. The handlers on earth had hoped that the dust would clear during November and December, which are relatively windy months on Mars. But unfortunately, that did not happen. The operators sent a final command to their rover but did not receive a response, and finally decided to declare it dead. But it completed its mission.

Both the rovers helped scientists to understand what the Martian climate was like billions of years ago, and in doing so revealed that the red planet had oceans of liquid water, highlighting the possibility of life having existed on there. For the team at JPL, it was an emotional farewell, all of whom concurred that it was an opportunity of a lifetime.