Solar System

Six Ways Opportunity is like a Teenager

Jan. 24, 2017

On January 24, 2017, Opportunity celebrates 13 years on Mars. On Earth, she's officially a teenager -- and behaving like one.

Transcript

Text: The Opportunity rover is turning 13

Opportunity is turning 13.
13. Wow!
Uh! The teenage years....

Text: 6 Ways Opportunity is Like a Teenager
Opportunity has turned into quite the mountain climber.

Text: Designed to climb 15-degree slopes
Has handled a 30-degree incline on Mars
But sometimes she's too optimistic and thinks she can keep driving when she really shouldn't. Like a typical teenager, she tends to think she's invincible.
Text: #2 Stays up late

Sometimes she stays up really late talking to her friends,
Odyssey and MAVEN, the Mars orbiters.

Text: Odyssey and MAVEN relay data to and from Earth

She even pulls all-niters sometimes looking at the moons, Phobos or Deimos

Text: Opportunity's Pancam View of Deimos

Text: #3 Loves to Share

Opportunity loves to document everything. She just loves to share pictures.

Text: Opportunity's images are available at:
http://nasa.gov/mer/

Text: #4 Doesn't always call home

UH! Sometimes she gives us the silent treatment.
It's not that she doesn't want to call home.

Text: Sometimes the Endeavour Crater rim blocks Opportunity's communication path

We know Opportunity has been up to something because there's less energy in the batteries than there was when she called home.

Text: #5 Getting Smarter

Sometimes Opportunity thinks she's smarter than us and refuses to go where we tell her to go.
She's usually right.

She roved her first marathon last year, farther than any other rover in history.

Text: It only took 11 years, 2 months

She's received a number software updates. She's smarter
Text: Software updates have made her more autonomous

She's definitely maturing and she's growing up

Text: #6 Always Curious

Opportunity has taught us that the water on Mars would've been something that life could've lived in.

Text: Opportunity's next destination: a possibly water-carved gully
Congratulations on becoming a teenager, Opportunity. Here's to at least another 13 years of exploring Mars. Happy 13th birthday!
Happy birthday Opportunity! Remember the day you landed like it was yesterday.
Happy 13th birthday Oppy!
And many more...

Text: Happy birthday Oppy!
We're proud of you!