Opportunity
Also known as MER-B
Twin of Spirit that landed in Meridiani Planum, confirmed water altered bedrock and drove 45 kilometres over more than fourteen years.
| Maker | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Launched | 2003 |
| Status | Retired |
| Height | 1.5 m |
| Mass | 185 kg |
| Distance driven | 45.16 km |
| Actuation | Six wheel rocker bogie drive with four corner steering |
| Power | Solar arrays with rechargeable lithium ion batteries |
| Sensors | Panoramic and navigation cameras, microscopic imager, alpha particle X-ray and Moessbauer spectrometers, rock abrasion tool |
| Autonomy | Ground planned drives with autonomous navigation and visual odometry |
Opportunity landed inside Eagle crater in Meridiani Planum on 25 January 2004 and immediately found layered sulphate bedrock and haematite spherules formed in acidic water. It used the same solar powered rocker bogie design as Spirit, with an arm mounted microscope, spectrometers and a rock abrasion tool, and it examined the craters Endurance, Victoria and Endeavour. Contact was lost on 10 June 2018 during a planet encircling dust storm, after 45.16 kilometres of driving.
Of note
- Holds the off Earth driving record for a wheeled vehicle at 45.16 km
- First rover to complete a marathon distance on another planet
- Found haematite spherules and sulphate rocks laid down in liquid water
Maker: www.nasa.gov