The rover has been exploring the neighboring planet since January 25, 2004.
NASA specialists fail to "wake up" the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, which, figuratively speaking, is now hibernating during a dust storm raging on Mars.
The storm began on May 30, 2018, swept the entire planet and lasted more than 3 months. The solar panels of the rover were essentially in the dark, almost no energy was generated. At the same time, the ambient temperature dropped below minus 30 degrees, Opportunity froze, its batteries were discharged, communication was lost - the last contact with the "earthling" took place on June 10, 2018.
In September 2018, when the storm subsided and the Martian skies cleared of dust, NASA scientists found the rover - they saw it in the images that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) orbiter transmitted to Earth. Opportunity ended up where it fell asleep - on the crest of the Endeavor crater. From a height of over 200 kilometers, it looks like a barely noticeable point.
Opportunity is now here - inside a white square: this is the edge of the Endeavor crater.
The storm did not carry the rover away. But the dust seems to have thoroughly powdered his solar panels. The current light is sufficient for normal operation - that is, the batteries must generate enough energy to wake and revive the rover. But they don't. It is impossible to restore contact with the rover, although the signals "Wake up" are sent to it from the Earth several times every day. Opportunity does not wake up - does not answer. NASA fears if he fell asleep forever. But they don't give up. Attempts to either wake him up - the sleeping one - or to reanimate the one who fell into a coma are planned to continue until the end of the year in the hope that the wind will blow off dust from the solar panels. This has happened before.
The path is about 45 kilometers, which was covered by Opportunity.
NASA promises to report the results in January 2019. They will either celebrate the awakening, or celebrate the commemoration.
Promotional video:
Opportunity is the twin brother of another rover Spirit. Both arrived on Mars in 2004 and are surprisingly reliable. They were supposed to work for three to four months. But Spirit got stuck in the sand and in attempts to get out finally broke down only in 2010, and Opportunity, perhaps, is still alive and will still wake up by January.
Spirit traveled about 8 kilometers across Mars, Opportunity more than 40.
This landscape Opportunity saw before falling asleep.
So-called virtual archaeologists - those who are looking for something strange in images from other planets - were delighted by Opportunity almost immediately. I photographed the log, which I reached on the 115th day of my stay on the Red Planet.
Look, the dark object looks a lot like a tree trunk dried up by the sun and wind. A characteristic layered structure is visible. The Earth is full of such - washed up on the shore by the surf, lying on sandy beaches.
But this log - which is in the picture - is exactly from Mars. By the way, next to the log - a little closer to us - a rectangular block is noticeable.
jealous and bar in front of the Opportunity camera lens.
The log and block are larger.
Having seen such amazing objects back in 2004, many then decided: the mission was a success. Life on Mars was - that is, at least.
After 10 years, virtual biologists also triumphed, finding a mushroom in a series of images transmitted by the rover in 2014. Grown right in front of the Opportunity mushroom. Read more about this in the Opportunity rover photographed the alien's fruiting body ?!
According to official figures, Opportunity did not find anything supernatural. In NASA, however, they assured that the rover dug up clay, which could only form in the immediate vicinity of water - fresh water. I also found a stone that had lain for a long time in a stream of water - either in a stream, or in a fast river. Which indicated that Mars once had quite tolerable environmental conditions. But this "discovery" was eventually forgotten. And the attention of serious specialists, virtual explorers and enthusiasts of searching for traces of Martians and aliens has switched to NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. He has been traveling around the neighboring planet since 2012. Feels good, sends cards.
VLADIMIR LAGOVSKY