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Opportunity Begins 10th Year on Mars

Posted by samzenpus on from the sticking-around dept.

An anonymous reader points out that 9 years ago the Opportunity rover started to explore the red planet. "The older, smaller cousin of NASA's huge Mars rover Curiosity is quietly celebrating a big milestone Thursday — nine years on the surface of the Red Planet. NASA's Opportunity rover landed on Mars the night of Jan. 24, 2004 PST (just after midnight EST on Jan. 25), three weeks after its twin, Spirit, touched down. Spirit stopped operating in 2010, but Opportunity is still going strong, helping scientists better understand the Red Planet's wetter, warmer past."

10 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Huzzah! by docmordin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's to Opportunity and, hopefully, another ten years!

    1. Re:Huzzah! by eksith · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Hear, hear!

      Carry on, Opportunity, your sister will always be with you in Spirit.

      --
      If computers were people, I'd be a misanthrope.
  2. Not Bad by bp2179 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not bad at all for something that was planned to last only about 3 months, if it made it past the "beachball" landing.

    1. Re:Not Bad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "I hope by the time humans finally walk on Mars, it's still there so it can be preserved"

      I don't think its going anywhere...

    2. Re:Not Bad by Ihlosi · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I hope by the time humans finally walk on Mars, it's still there so it can be preserved.
      However, the implications of the rover no longer being where it is assumed to be would be ... interesting.
      Might make for a good start of a sci-fi horror movie ... or comedy.

  3. Not even 5 years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Martian year is 1.88 Earth years, so it hasn't even run for 5 years on Mars.

  4. Last message from the Opportunity rover by Grayhand · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Ah, guys, it's been ten years. Seriously when am I coming home? I figured a year, eighteen months tops. You did make plans to bring me back, right? I mean it's not like you planned to abandon me here. Okay I'll check out this next geological feature but after that we're having a heart to heart about cashing in this return ticket. The winters here are murder and I keep dreaming of that tropical retirement you promised. I found some possible signs of life but I'll discuss it once I'm back in Florida. Just get me back to palm trees and bikinis and I'll tell you whatever you want to know!"

    1. Re:Last message from the Opportunity rover by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So you've got time to come to Slashdot and write a hundred words of Mars Rover internal monologue, but you're too awesome to read a webcomic?

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  5. And yet... by matunos · · Score: 5, Funny

    Still no sign of oil. What a f*ckin waste!

  6. Really hostile environment by Max_W · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is easier to send a robot to Mars than to, say, a local supermarket. It would probably not last in a supermarket for a week.

    The really hostile environment for robots is the human social environment.

    It is clear how to protect against radiation or low temperatures, but how to protect against coffee into circuits or lipstick on lenses? Or just plain simple kicks from behind.

    These are complicated and important problems because robots could be very useful on Earth too right now.