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Spirit Opportunity: Exploring the Red Planet

Don Coleman

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Published in Roving Mars: Spirit Opportunity And The Exploration Of The Red Planet

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Spirit Opportunity was a robotic rover that explored the surface of Mars for six years. It landed on the planet in January 2004 and operated until March 2010. During its mission, Spirit Opportunity covered over 7 miles of terrain and sent back over 100,000 images and other data.

Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet

by Steven W. Squyres

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
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The Mission

The Spirit Opportunity mission was part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover program. The goal of the program was to send two rovers to Mars to search for evidence of past water activity on the planet. Spirit Opportunity was one of the two rovers, along with Opportunity. Spirit Opportunity was launched from Earth in June 2003 and landed on Mars in January 2004. The rover landed in Gusev Crater, which was thought to be a former lakebed.

The Rover

Spirit Opportunity was a six-wheeled rover that was about the size of a golf cart. The rover was powered by solar panels and had a variety of instruments on board, including a camera, a spectrometer, and a rock abrasion tool. The rover was also equipped with a robotic arm that was used to collect samples of Martian rock and soil.

The Findings

Spirit Opportunity made a number of important discoveries during its mission. The rover found evidence of past water activity on Mars, including ancient riverbeds and deltas. The rover also found a variety of minerals that are associated with water, such as hematite and goethite. These discoveries suggest that Mars was once a much wetter planet than it is today.

In addition to its findings about water on Mars, Spirit Opportunity also made a number of other important discoveries. The rover found evidence of a volcanic past on Mars, including lava flows and volcanic ash. The rover also found a variety of minerals that are not found on Earth, such as jarosite and bassanite. These discoveries provide new insights into the geological history of Mars.

The Legacy

Spirit Opportunity was a highly successful mission that made a number of important discoveries about Mars. The rover's findings have helped us to better understand the planet's history and its potential for life. Spirit Opportunity's legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.