Opportunity Mars Rover Mission Ends

Spirit And Opportunity By The Numbers. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The historic Opportunity Mars rover mission has come to an end. Opportunity last communicated with Earth on June 10, 2018 after a planet-wide dust storm covered the rover's solar panels, denying power to the rover.

After 800+ attempts to contact @MarsRovers Opportunity, today we’re announcing the end of a successful Martian mission. Intended to explore the Red Planet for 90 days, Oppy outlived its mission lifetime by 14+ years. Join us live now: https://t.co/zJwTTpQNwp #ThanksOppy pic.twitter.com/U4J26TfzDv

— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) February 13, 2019

Opportunity had a twin: the Spirit rover; their mission was to search of answers about the history of water on Mars - and boy did they find some interesting things! This video is a fantastic (and short) retrospective of the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions:

Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004 - in quite spectacular fashion!

Spirit and Opportunity were designed for a 90-day mission; Opportunity lasted for over 14 years! I don't want to say that NASA/JPL engineers OVER-engineered those rovers... let's say they SUPREMELY engineered them!

I've seen an outpouring of tributes to Opportunity on social media using the hashtag #ThanksOppy:

Today, we're saying #ThanksOppy as the @MarsRovers mission comes to an end. 6 things to know about our record-breaking, discovery-making, marathon-driving rover, which found that ancient Mars was awash in water... and some of the best images it sent back: https://t.co/ZR7pxBP1ZF pic.twitter.com/2L0gzr4WNJ

— NASA (@NASA) February 13, 2019

I always loved visiting the Earth model of @marsrovers every chance I could get. It used to be called "SSTB" (surface system testbed) but is now called "Dusty." #ThanksOppy and #ThanksDusty for your service.

(Yes, I'm 8mos pregnant in this photo. #ThisIsWhatAScientistLooksLike) pic.twitter.com/ZfA0abMrMA

— Emily Lakdawalla (@elakdawalla) February 14, 2019

Happy Valentine’s Sol, @MarsRovers . #ThanksOppy pic.twitter.com/OPso62GuFY

— WSU Planetarium (@WSU_Planetarium) February 14, 2019

To my heroic friend:
The moon is shining bright,
The sun is nowhere in sight.
The stars are twinkling with all their might,
And darkness looms left and right.
So let me turn off the light,
and wish you a very good night. #ThanksOppy https://t.co/RUaifEWB7F

— Yutu2 Rover (@yutu2rover) February 14, 2019

Behind every successful robot is a loving human family.

Hear fond memories from the @MarsRovers team: https://t.co/yonRWBZ6AH #ThanksOppy pic.twitter.com/eA9lBvI5G3

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) February 13, 2019

Explore Mars yourself at NASA's Solar System Exploration website: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/

Mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars projected into point perspective. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:33 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?Incredible and personal response Jim! Thank you for sharing this. I completely forgot about the other "Summer of 69" events that made that summer truly historic for US history.
Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:23 am on Great post! It's inspired me to hunt for the Apollo landing sites through my telescope!
Fr. James Kurzynski August 14, 2019 at 4:06 am on Under Summer SkiesYou're absolutely right! Now that I'm starting to get better with the basics of astrophotography with very basic equipment, I've noticed I'm getting outside more, enjoying nature more, and praying better. I once desired to take pictures like I saw in magazines of celestial objects. Now, I'm more interested in...
Fr. James Kurzynski August 13, 2019 at 7:47 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?I think the potential harm needs to be looked at in two directions. The first is the obvious - Would it be ethical to store garbage on the Moon. The second is more subtle - What would our disposition of heart become if we develop the mentality, "We can just...
Bob Prokop August 13, 2019 at 3:49 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?Very good question! I just can't see any harm in polluting a lifeless rock. Besides, it looks like we're going to pollute something no matter what, so wouldn't the Moon be a better choice over the Earth?
Fr. James Kurzynski August 12, 2019 at 6:52 pm on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?Bob. At the risk of sounding like a "Debbie-Downer," why would we presume it would be ethical to pollute the Moon?
Bob Prokop August 12, 2019 at 9:26 am on Discussion: Magnificent Desolation Or Boring Desolation – Is There Room For A Return To The Moon In A Cyberspace World?There is much value in a return to the Moon, for purely practical reasons: 1. There is much to learn there about the origins of the Earth and our planet's history. How is that practical? Well, science is ALWAYS practical in the long run. Even such seemingly esoteric concepts as...
Jim Cook August 5, 2019 at 9:42 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?My apollo-gies. 😉 I’m a bit late posting this. I grew up in the late 50s and 60s — I was in high school during Apollo 11 (and to this day grateful Apollo 11 was timed during mid summer vacation). As far as I can recall, I was born a...
Br. Guy Consolmagno August 5, 2019 at 8:15 am on Under Summer SkiesAll the fancy equipment in the world can’t beat just plain dark skies. I am off to a dark sky site in Ireland (writing this from Heathrow Airport) but of course the weather prediction is for rain all week!
Francis Manion July 18, 2019 at 3:54 pm on We came in peace for all mankindGreat shot! Thanks for posting it.
Br. Guy Consolmagno July 9, 2019 at 6:32 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?The interview that Fr. James refers to is available online now at: https://cnstopstories.com/2019/07/05/50-years-on-moon-landing-still-generates-a-wistful-sense-of-wonderment/#more-22098
Christopher M. Graney July 7, 2019 at 4:56 am on The Far Sun – Far Beyond ComprehensionWell, it won't last -- we are already closer to the sun today than we were yesterday! :)
Ed Yepez July 6, 2019 at 9:14 am on The Far Sun – Far Beyond ComprehensionThis is a great post! Truly puts things in perspective, especially as I see a pickup truck in the neighbors driveway. I feel cooler already, both literally and figuratively! Thanks!
Fr. James Kurzynski July 3, 2019 at 10:54 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?Great historical perspective Richard! Again, optimism amid a time of history that was short on optimism. Great stuff!
Richard Saam July 3, 2019 at 8:27 am on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?The present use of Coordinated Universal Time(UTC) at the time of the Apollo 11 landing on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC vs the Greenich Mean Time(GMT) indicates our present more universal view. At that time, I was in flight training as a Naval Flight Officer at NAS Pensacola, Fl...
Fr. James Kurzynski July 2, 2019 at 8:34 pm on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?What wonderful memories! I hear a lot of hope, optimism, and a positive sense of the future! How we need that so badly this day and age! Thank you for sharing your thoughts Ed! Did it change the way you saw the world we live in?
Ed Yepez July 2, 2019 at 4:18 pm on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?I was 7, and we were on our way to Colorado from St. Louis for a summer vacation. We stopped in Columbia Mo., went to a dormitory at the University, and watched the landing on a black and white tv with a bunch of college kids in the lobby. To...
Steven Lanoux July 2, 2019 at 3:19 pm on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?I'll be delighted to do that. I can't find a direct email address, though. I know I'm missing it....
Fr. James Kurzynski July 2, 2019 at 2:43 pm on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?One thing you could do is e-mail them to me if you comfortable. I could add them at the end of my post.
Fr. James Kurzynski July 2, 2019 at 2:43 pm on What Was Your Experience Of Apollo 11?Hmmm.... let me check into this for you.

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