On February 13th 2019, NASA announced that its Opportunity Rover's mission had officially come to an end. NASA lost contact with the Opportunity Rover in June of 2018. After repeated attempts at making contact, including the last try on February 12th 2019, had all failed, Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate said, "...with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude, I declare the Opportunity mission as complete."
Opportunity Rover blasted off from Earth on June 10th 2003. It landed on the surface of Mars in January of 2004. Its mission was only meant to last for three month, but to every one's surprise and amazement, it continued to explore the Martian surface for nearly 15 years. Opportunity's mission was to explore Mars' Endeavour crater. While there it discovered iron rich spheres that were nicknamed, Mars Blueberries.
On it's tour, it also discover the mineral, hematite, which forms in water, which led to the postulation that Mars was once a very water rich, wet planet, and may have been habitable. The rover found the first meteorite to be discovered on another planet. Opportunity sent back 217,000 images, including those of a Martian dust devil. In the wake of Opportunity's demise, another larger vehicle, Curiosity Rover remains on Mars to continue its legacy.
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