Martian Skies Clearing over Opportunity Rover

NASA really hit it out of the park when they designed and built the Opportunity rover. This bot has wandered all over Mars for the last 15 years even though NASA figured the rover would only make it through a 90-day mission window. Opportunity has been out of contact for some time now because of a huge dust storm. They haven't heard from him since June 10th and they're worried this last storm may have killed off the bot that could. Once the sky clears they will give the rover 45 days to phone home or their going to only monitor for him passively. I'm pulling for Opportunity and the science it has brought us. Don't give up, Opportunity! Phone home!

The team also knows that everything about the rover is well beyond its warranty period -- both Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit, were constructed for 90-day missions (Spirit lasted 20 times longer and Opportunity is going on 60 times). The rovers were designed to travel about 1,000 yards, and Opportunity has logged more than 28 miles. Through thick and thin, the team has seen their rover soldier on. Now, Opportunity engineers and scientists of Opportunity are planning, and hoping, that this latest dilemma is just another bump in their Martian road.

Amazing, I'm always excited to see quality design

Go little buddy, go!

How will the dust be cleared off the solar panels?

Mark Watney will find it and fix it tho.

savagepagan said:

How will the dust be cleared off the solar panels?

Click to expand...

Martian custodians. Or wind.

Considering NASA has tried to kill Opportunity before, I don't expect they're going to be too put out if it takes a dive. That's ~$15m/yr of operational budget and substantial DSN radio time that could be put toward newer projects, with more modern instrumentation.