NASA Ends Opportunity Mission After 1,000 Failed Calls Following 2018 Mars Dust Storm
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · May 19
NASA Ends Opportunity Mission After 1,000 Failed Calls Following 2018 Mars Dust Storm
5 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · May 19
More than 1,000 recovery commands failed to revive Opportunity after its last transmission on June 10, 2018, leading NASA to declare the Mars rover mission over on Feb. 13, 2019.
A planetary-encircling dust storm had cut sunlight to the solar-powered rover, draining its batteries and shutting off heaters needed to protect electronics in roughly -90°C Martian nights.
Engineers kept trying after the storm cleared in September 2018, timing signals to seasonal winds that had previously cleaned dust from the rover's panels, but received no response.
Opportunity far outlived its 90-sol design life, operating for 14 years and 138 days, traveling more than 28 miles and helping confirm that ancient water once existed on Mars.
Opportunity succumbed to a dust storm. How will nuclear-powered rovers change the rules for exploring and surviving on other worlds?
With walking robots now being tested, is the era of slow, wheeled Mars rovers like Opportunity officially coming to an end?
From 90 Days to 15 Years: The Extraordinary Mission and Impact of Mars Rover Opportunity
Overview
In 2018, a massive dust storm swept across Mars, blocking sunlight and causing Opportunity’s solar power to run out. The rover entered a protective hibernation mode, but even after the storm cleared, it remained silent. The long period of darkness and cold likely damaged its batteries or vital parts, preventing it from waking up. NASA’s team tried many times to contact Opportunity, but received no response. This marked the end of Opportunity’s mission, closing a remarkable chapter in Mars exploration and highlighting the challenges of operating solar-powered robots on the Red Planet.