Article In Science.docx

Article in Science Technology and Society (Robotics)

Submitted by: Paja, Ayah Shairah Sandoval, Christine Joy Sta. Ana, Mariz

OPPY THE EXPLORER “My Battery is low, and it’s getting dark” This was the poetic translation of Oppy’s more technical transmission before she died becau se of a system failure due to a heavy dust storm last June 2018. After the storm John Callas – Opportunity’s Project Manager contacted Oppy for 8 months but there is no response. On February 12, 2019 they tried to reach out Oppy again but on the next day, February 13, 2019, NASA declared that Mars Rover Opportunity had officially come to an end. The scientist wanted to study the past water activity of Mars but weren’t able to go, so they send rovers that will analyze rocks and soils and perform other important tasks, and Oppy was included which landed on January 25, 2004. She was intended to last for 90 Martian day s only but she spent 15 years exploring the Mars. Oppy discovered these scattered blueberries, a jelly doughnut, clay and she also photographed a crater. One of her early discovery was the meteorite which has a size of basketball and it was the first ever meteorite that can be found in another planet. The robot found clay minerals in a type of rock called Esperance. It means the rock may have had a lot of contact with water in the past. This helped scientists learn that Mars was much warmer and wetter billions of years ago. Oppy found slivers of a bright material that looks very much like it is gypsum (calcium sulphate) Opportunity had outlived its robotic twin, the Spirit rover, by nearly eight years. Its final resting place was the aptly-named Perseverance Valley.