RIP Opportunity Rover

[essentialsaltes]

Opportunity, NASA’s record-setting Mars rover, is declared dead after 15 years

Opportunity’s historic mission, which uncovered signs of Mars’s watery past and transformed our understanding of the Red Planet, has finally come to an end after 15 years, NASA declared Wednesday.

Opportunity’s mission was planned to last just 90 days, but it worked for 5,000 Martian “sols” (which are about 39 minutes longer than an Earth day) and traversed more than 28 treacherous miles — two records for NASA.

 

[Michael]

Pretty impressive longevity considering it's warranty expired about 14 years ago.

 

[eleos1954]

Opportunity, NASA’s record-setting Mars rover, is declared dead after 15 years

Opportunity’s historic mission, which uncovered signs of Mars’s watery past and transformed our understanding of the Red Planet, has finally come to an end after 15 years, NASA declared Wednesday.

Opportunity’s mission was planned to last just 90 days, but it worked for 5,000 Martian “sols” (which are about 39 minutes longer than an Earth day) and traversed more than 28 treacherous miles — two records for NASA.

It had a good run ;o)

 

[Strathos]

In before the flat earth/space doesn't exist conspiracy brigade

 

[Shemjaza]

I know that anthropomorphising machines is incredibly silly, but I can't help but feel sad about that ingenuous little machine breaking down finally.

 

[USincognito]

I wouldn't be sad if I learned that a 75,000 year old human died.

 

[Shemjaza]

I wouldn't be sad if I learned that a 75,000 year old human died.

I guess, but if you heard of one you could be forgiven for thinking that they were immortal.

 

[Herman Hedning]

This was xkcd's take on Spirit, but let's use it for Opportunity too...

 

[Nithavela]

While I dont usually engage in viewing inanimate object as living beings, I truly hope that mankind manages to go to mars someday, retrieve the rover and put it into a place of honor.

 

[Michael]

While I dont usually engage in viewing inanimate object as living beings, I truly hope that mankind manages to go to mars someday, retrieve the rover and put it into a place of honor.

IMO it's already been put into a place of honor.

I just hope the Parker Solar probe lasts that long.

 

[jayem]

Well done, good and faithful servant.

 

[dgiharris]

While I dont usually engage in viewing inanimate object as living beings, I truly hope that mankind manages to go to mars someday, retrieve the rover and put it into a place of honor.

Actually, I don't think it will be brought back to Earth. I think when we make a Mars Colony it will have its own place of honor within the Colony.

My guess is we'll have a real bonafide self sustaining Mars Colony in the next 60-ish years give or take a Decade

 

[dgiharris]

Well done, good and faithful servant.

 

[Nithavela]

Actually, I don't think it will be brought back to Earth. I think when we make a Mars Colony it will have it's own place of honor within the Colony.

My guess is we'll have a real bonafide self sustaining Mars Colony in the next 60-ish years give or take a Decade

They are two rovers, so one can stay and one can return.

 

[Chesterton]

Thing probably died of boredom. "Oh joy, I get to look at more red dirt again today."

 

[USincognito]

This reminds me of how cute people thought the Sojurner rover was back in the day.

 

[Michael]

Thing probably died of boredom. "Oh joy, I get to look at more red dirt again today."

LOL!

 

[Shemjaza]

This was xkcd's take on Spirit, but let's use it for Opportunity too...

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