Opportunity's Last Message

Opportunity's Last Photograph, Spring 2018 (credit: JPL/NASA)

The Opportunity rover has 'gone dark' after a year of attempts by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CalTech to regain contact with the robotic craft. The rover became stranded when a massive dust storm encircled Mars and covered its solar panels causing them to loose the rover's power supply. Opportunity, originally scheduled to operate for three months, lasted nearly 15 years gathering essential data on the Red Planet. The last photograph received by JPL showed the Martian horizon and a dust-filled sky. The rover, named by students along with its sister robot Spirit, and nicknamed 'Oppie' by NASA engineers, became the subject of much affection. It's final message simply said: “My battery is low and it’s getting dark."

In a recap of the remarkable Mars mission of exploration, JPL compiled a short-list of major accomplishments. The data gathered by the robots on Martian will be analyzed for years to come.

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