Information AboutMer-b |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT OPPORTUNITY ROVER | |
| mars exploration rover | |
| mars spacecraft | |
| active extraterrestrial land probes | |
| robots | |
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MER-B ('''Mars Exploration Rover - B'''), known as '''''Opportunity''''', is the second of the two ), three weeks after her twin '' Spirit '' (MER-A) had landed on the other side of the planet. "Spirit" landed on January 4 , 2004 . Her name was chosen through a NASA-sponsored Student Essay Competition . The length of her successful mission to perform Geological analysis of Martian rocks has been extended by a factor of eight due to continuing successful operation, and As Of 2006 her mission was ongoing. An archive of approximately weekly updates on her status can be found at the NASA/ JPL website . MISSION OVERVIEW See Also: Opportunity rover timeline 's photograph of landing site showing ".]] The primary surface mission for ''Opportunity'' was planned to last 90 Sol s. The mission has received several extensions and 2006 had passed 700 sols. From her initial landing, by chance, into an impact crater amidst an otherwise generally flat plain, ''Opportunity'' successfully gathered soil and rock samples and taken panoramic photos of her landing site. Her sampling allowed NASA scientists to make hypotheses concerning the presence of Hematite and past presence of Water on the surface of Mars. Following this, she was directed to travel across the surface of Mars to investigate another crater site, Endurance Crater , which she investigated from June — December 2004. Subsequently, ''Opportunity'' examined the impact site of its own Heat Shield and discovered an intact Meteorite , now know as Heat Shield Rock , on the surface of Mars. From late April 2005 to early June of that year, ''Opportunity'' was perilously lodged in a sand dune, with several wheels buried in the sand. Over a six week period Earth-based physical simulations were performed to decide how best to extract the rover from its position without risking a permanent immobilization of the valuable vehicle. Successful maneuvering a few centimeters at a time eventually freed the rover, which resumed its travels. ''Opportunity'' was directed to proceed in a southerly direction to Erebus Crater , a large, shallow, partially buried crater and a stopover on the way south towards "Victoria" crater, between October 2005 and March 2006. It experienced some mechanical problems with its robotic arm. |
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