NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover had been on a mission for 15 years, and during this time period, it has helped the scientists to explore many things about the Red Planet and even about the entire solar system.
It was sent on Mars in the year of 2004, and now, when it’s the fifteenth year of this opportunity rover on that planet, it has been observed by the scientist and investigators that it’s no more in contact with the earth since 12th June 2018. Upon researching about the reasons, they came to know that it has happened because of the major global dust storm. The dust has been covering the entirety of Red planet for a couple of months, and eventually, the access of the sun to solar panels of the rover has been blocked.
The scientists were hoping that NASA’s Mars Opportunity Rover could only come into contact with the earth if luckily; the dust storm would pass away. In that case, the panel would come into contact with the sun again, and the batteries could start recharging. NASA has stated that they will wait for a few more days and if they do not find any contact of the rover with the earth then they will assume it as dead, and it could not be recovered ever again. In that case, it will be the end of 15 years’ mission and scientists will close the chapter of Red Planet’s information until some new vehicle is sent there.
The dust storm has been passed in last summer, but still, there has been no communication observed between earth and opportunity. It is causing a decrease in the hopes of investigators day by day.
So, what are the achievements of Opportunity Rover?
Opportunity rover together with its twin rover, named, Spirit was sent to the alternative sides of MARS in January 2004. Scientists had assumed that each of these rovers could last for 90 days and could move about 1000 yard each. Both of these rovers had surprised the scientists because they kept working normally even beyond their expectations of 90 days.
Spirit rover could work since 2009, and then it stopped communicating with the earth. On the flip side, there was opportunity rover that was designed with an assumption to last for 3 months, but it had been working there for 5111 days until its last contact with the earth was observed. In fact, these 5111 days are Martian days that are 40 minutes longer than our days. Don’t you think that it is such a significant achievement of Opportunity rover!
Literally, opportunity rover has contributed a huge amount to acquire the knowledge of the red planet. How we could get to know about the history of ancient Mars and whether or not there was a safest water ocean on the planet! It has all been explored because of this intelligent NASA’s Opportunity rover. It has travelled and lasted for more than any other vehicle on an extra-terrestrial body. Moreover, it has made the scientists able to understand the formation together with many other essential aspects of the solar system.
Opportunity is equipped with a panoramic camera which is used to survey the surface of the planet. Opportunity and spirit were primarily sent on mars to collect some information in the field of geology and to find the evidence whether Mars had ever been the place to support the life. Scientists were trying to find the traces of water in the rocks. Hence, they could get an idea about what mars had looked like millions of years ago as rocks provide very clear clues about the history. It was found that in the past, some kind of force had made some surface eroded, but it wasn’t clear whether it has happened because of the water flow or volcano or even wind.
In very initial days, this rover also succeeded to find something known in geology as “vugs” or “voids” in the rocks. A few rocks on mars also contained hydroxide ions which gave a clue that water was present there when the rock had been formed. This exploration made the scientists very excited.
In fact, scientists could come to find a lot of amazing and interesting facts about not only Mars planet but about the entire solar system. Unfortunately, the exploration process has been stopped for an unknown period of time.
Conclusion:
NASA’S opportunity rover remained in contact with the earth for 15 years, and in this time period, scientists and researchers explored a lot of information about the red planet. They were still expecting it to explore the water flow on Mars, but now, unfortunately, there has remained almost no hope that this rover will communicate with the earth again. It is because of the reason that the dust layers have become extremely thick and these can no more be blown off by the Martian winds.
