Opportunity Rover Marks 15 Years on Mars as NASA Implements New Contact Strategy after Dust Storm Silence

This pre-dust storm panoramic mosaic view was one of the last ones taken by NASA’s Opportunity rover and shows the spectacular view from her approximate current position as of June 2018 after traveling halfway down the fluid carved slope of Perseverance Valley - while peering into the interior of vast Endeavour Crater.  This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled by Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo from raw images taken on Sol 5074  (3 May 2018) and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/Marco Di Lorenzo

Ken Kremer  --SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM –25 January 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – NASA’s world famous Opportunity Rover today marks 15 Years since a breathtaking touchdown on Mars on Jan. 24, 2004 while conducting a resoundingly successful scientific foray on the alien Red Planets surface on a stunning overland trek encompassing more than 28 miles (45 kilometers) across a region called Meridiani Planum. 

Yet today, her fate is unknown – having been silenced by a historic global dust storm that has cut off all communications for over seven months with the celebrated but aged solar powered rover.

Thus NASA announced today that engineers are implementing a new strategy in hopes of making renewed contact.

“The team is continuing to listen for the rover over a broad range of times, frequencies and polarizations using the Deep Space Network (DSN) Radio Science Receiver,” said NASA.

To date more than 600 recovery commands have been sent!

A revised communications strategy is urgently needed because the rover is heading into southern hemisphere winter on Mars with decreased solar power generation possibilities and exiting the summertime season that simultaneously helped cause the dust storm while offering the best hope for generating solar power.

This set of images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows a fierce dust storm kicking up on Mars in June 2018, with NASA’s Opportunity and Curiosity rovers on the surface indicated as icons.  Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The six wheeled robot has operated far beyond the wildest expectations of the science and engineering team on a mission only warrantied to last a mere 90 sols, or 3 months since sending her first signal back to Earth from the surface on Jan. 24 at 9:05 p.m. PST (Jan. 25, 2004, at 12:05 a.m. EST).

Opportunity remains “still silent” as of today, sadly. 

The last communication from Opportunity with Earth was received June 10, 2018 (Sol 5111).

"Fifteen years on the surface of Mars is testament not only to a magnificent machine of exploration but the dedicated and talented team behind it that has allowed us to expand our discovery space of the Red Planet," said John Callas, project manager for Opportunity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in a Jan. 24 statement. 

"However, this anniversary cannot help but be a little bittersweet as at present we don't know the rover's status. We are doing everything in our power to communicate with Opportunity, but as time goes on, the probability of a successful contact with the rover continues to diminish."

Opportunity rover looks south from the top of Perseverance Valley along the rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars in this partial self portrait including the rover deck and solar panels. Perseverance Valley descends from the right and terminates down near the crater floor. This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled from raw images taken on Sol 4736 (20 May 2017) and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Marco Di Lorenzo/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

When the massive planet-encircling dust storm hit Opportunity had been descending down and exploring Perseverance Valley located along the eroded western rim of the gigantic 22-km diameter (14 mi) impact crater named Endeavour. 

NASA’s Opportunity rover acquired this Martian panoramic view from a promontory that overlooks Perseverance Valley below – scanning from north to south. It is centered on due East and into the interior of Endeavour crater. Perseverance Valley descends from the right and terminates down near the crater floor in the center of the panorama. The far rim of Endeavour crater is seen in the distance, beyond the dark floor. Rover deck and wheel tracks at right. This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled from raw images taken on Sol 4730 (14 May 2017) and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/Marco Di Lorenzo

The global Martian dust storm that gradually encircled the Red Planet started in late May whipping up dust that blocked Opportunity’s solar arrays from generating power and charging the life-giving batteries - thereby cutting off all communications with Earth from the essentially dead robot.

Meanwhile the dust finally began to subside in September when NASA began an active listening campaign initially scheduled to last 45 days and known as ‘sweep and beep’.  NASA then extended the sweep and beep campaign while giving “top priority’ to ensuring a successful touchdown for NASA new “InSight” over the Thanksgiving 2018 holiday.

Historic 1st descent down Martian gully. Panoramic view looking down Perseverance Valley after entry at top was acquired by NASA’s Opportunity rover scanning from north to south. It shows numerous wheel tracks at left, center and right as rover conducted walkabout tour prior to starting historic first decent down a Martian gully – possibly carved by water – and looks into the interior of Endeavour crater. Perseverance Valley terminates down near the crater floor in the center of the panorama. The far rim of Endeavour crater is seen in the distance, beyond the dark floor. Rover mast shadow at center and deck at left. This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled by Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo from raw images taken on Sol 4780 (5 July 2017) and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/Marco Di Lorenzo

NASA keep listening for signals because a potentially favorable “windy period on Mars -- known to Opportunity's team as "dust-clearing season" -- occurs in the November-to-January time frame and has helped clean the rover's panels in the past.”

Furthermore Opportunity’s current health is unknown as is the amount of accumulated dust on the solar panels. 

The team has been listening and send signals regularly and multiple times per day - a  process known as ‘sweep and beep’ - hoping the six wheeled robot will wake up. 

Two 2001 images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter show a dramatic change in the planet's appearance when haze raised by dust-storm activity in the south became globally distributed. The images were taken about a month apart. Credit:  NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The team lost contact with Opportunity after “a planet-wide dust storm blanketed the solar-powered rover's location on the western rim of Perseverance Valley, eventually blocking out so much sunlight that the rover could no longer charge its batteries. Although the storm eventually abated and the skies over Perseverance cleared, the rover has not communicated with Earth since then. However, Opportunity's mission continues, in a phase where mission engineers at JPL are sending commands to as well as listening for signals from the rover. If engineers hear from the rover, they could attempt a recovery,” according to NASA officials.

But now the weather situation is changing on Mars and becoming potentially dire as wintertime encroaches on southern hemisphere of the Red Planet where Opportunity is located. 

That means less sun and lower temperatures -both of which could kill off any chance for reviving Opportunity. 

“Time is of the essence for the Opportunity team,” the team said in a new statement released Jan. 25. 

“The "dust-clearing season" - the time of year on Mars when increased winds could clear the rover's solar panels of dust that might be preventing it from charging its batteries - is drawing to a close. Meanwhile, Mars is heading into southern winter, which brings with it extremely low temperatures that are likely to cause irreparable harm to an unpowered rover's batteries, internal wiring and/or computer systems.” 

Thus the question is can she rise from the dead like Lazarus and ‘phone home’ in the new few weeks? Or is she permanently silenced?

No one knows.

“Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have begun transmitting a new set of commands to the Opportunity rover in an attempt to compel the 15-year-old Martian explorer to contact Earth. The new commands, which will be beamed to the rover during the next several weeks, address low-likelihood events that could have occurred aboard Opportunity, preventing it from transmitting.” 

Thus the team will continue active efforts to contact Opportunity for the foreseeable future, until such time as they need or seek further guidance from NASA and JPL management.

Keep your fingers crossed!

As of Jan 24, 2019 long lived Opportunity has survived or experienced over 5300 Sols (or Martian days) roving the harsh environment of the Red Planet. 

Opportunity has taken over 228,771 images and traversed over 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometers) - more than a marathon. 

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area.

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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events

Ken’s upcoming talks:

Apr 3:  “Exploring Mars; The Search for Life & A Journey in 3-D.”  7 PM, Lawton C Johnson Middle School, Summit, NJ. Open to the public. Details upcoming. Latest results from Mars & Ultima Thule

15 Year Traverse Map for NASA’s Opportunity rover from 2004 to 2019. This map shows the entire 45-kilometer (28 mi) path the rover has driven on the Red Planet during over 15 Earth years (7.8 Mars years) and more than a marathon runners distance for over 5300 Sols, or Martian days, since landing inside Eagle Crater on Jan 24, 2004 – to current location at Perseverance Valley at the western rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover reached Perseverance Valley in May 2017 and descended about halfway by June 2018.  Its likely a water carved Martian gully. Opportunity surpassed Marathon distance on Sol 3968 after reaching 11th Martian anniversary on Sol 3911. Opportunity discovered clay minerals at Esperance – indicative of a habitable zone – and searched for more at Marathon Valley. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/ASU/Marco Di Lorenzo/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

Ken Kremer/Space UpClose posing with full scale model of NASA’s Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Florida