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On January 25, 2004, the Opportunity rover landed on Mars for a mission that was going to last 90 sols (90 Martian days, which are a bit longer than Earth days). Ten years later, she's still going strong and adding to our knowledge of the red planet.

Sadly, her twin sister Spirit got caught in a sand trap in 2009 and made her final transmission in 2010 as winter began on Mars. She didn't survive the winter and finally, in 2011 NASA formally ended her mission. You can read Spirit's story here.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 01/27/14 11:11 PM.
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Opportunity - Oppy to her friends! - did as others might on their birthdays. She took a selfie. Although she doesn't have a little cell phone, she does have some nifty cameras and can send messages home. Birthday snap of Opportunity on Mars taken with mast camera.

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Mona, thanks for posting the photo - amazing how Opportunity's colors match the Martian landscape ...

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Hi Mona,

Gee what a world you have opened up for me, I am enjoying running unimpeded around your site! Thank you so much.

The story of Spirit and Oppy is so nice too - but for my money, I am pleased that Oppy doesn't know about Spirit's demise - unless some silly person has told her. Long may she live and continue.

Do you know if they are going to send up another Spirit to take over? I guess it doesn't just cost two and six so who can say what's in the future.

How do you define a Mars winter and a Mars summer?

Cheers now


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Susan, I suspect it's more than coincidence that Opportunity's colors match the landscape. Probably she needs a good scrub and polish! smile At least she doesn't get muddy. It looks as though if it ever rained on Mars it hasn't done it for a few billion years.

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Lestie, I'm glad you enjoyed it. No one's said whether they've told Oppy about Spirit. Perhaps she knows - you know how sisters are always texting each other.

But Opportunity isn't alone on Mars. In August 2012 Curiosity landed on Mars after a fantastically brilliant nail-biting descent. This is Forum thread about Curiosity from that summer.

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Here is a recent photo from Curiosity on Mars: Striated rocks with Mount Sharp in background You can't get such a vista all in one shot, so Curiosity took a number of photos so that this montage could be.

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Hey Mona,

Thank heavens I do not live on Mars - if I did I would be 2640 or so years old; I would certainly have to dye my hair and purchase a gravity-laden walking stick to get around.

Thanks for your very interesting site,
Cheers


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NASA's preliminary budget shows no funding for Opportunity after this year. This isn't a final budget and of course, hasn't been approved by Congress. But it does suggest that the rover is being given a low priority by NASA compared to its other Mars exploration programs.

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One day last week, not long before sunset, one of Opportunity's cameras caught her silhouette on the rim of Endeavour Crater. Shadow Portrait on Mars


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