Opportunity Begins 10th year of Mission On Mars

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity that landed on the Red Planet nine years ago on Jan. 24, 2004 on a plain called Meridiani Planum is about to begin its 10^th year of active mission on the Martian surface.

Opportunity that has driven nearly 35.46 kilometers ever since it landed, is currently examining veined rocks on the rim of an ancient crater.  It was basically sent on a three month mission and drive about 2000 feet to search for water on Mars.  During the first three months it was able to successfully provided evidence that water flowed on the Martian surface.

"What's most important is not how long it has lasted or even how far it has driven, but how much exploration and scientific discovery Opportunity has accomplished," JPL's John Callas, manager of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project said in a press statement.

Opportunity continues to carry out its mission on the Matijevic Hill where it will use cameras present on its mast and tools on its robotic arm to examine the site that is 22 kilometer in diameter. It is providing clues about the older wet environment that is less acidic.

Opportunity landed weeks after its twin, Spirit, landed on the opposite side of the planet. Even Spirit was meant to carry a mission for three months but continued longer and finally went silent in 2010 when it  got stuck in  Martian sand.

Opportunity lacks a carbon detector and does not have the latest equipment like Curiosity. Curiosity has just started its mission and is currently at the Yellowknife Bay in Gale carter whereas Opportunity has been operational for long and been producing remarkable findings.