Tech History Made on January 25, 2004

4 years ago today the Opportunity rover searched for water on the Mars surface. The Spirit rover had been on Mars for 3 weeks before the Opportunity, but had quit working the week before. The Opportunity traveled for 6 months before landing on Mars in what was speculated to be a large crater. Scientists believe that the dusty soil on Mars contains grey haematite, which is found on Earth in the presence of water. Water was not discovered on this mission but our quest continues to find life on other planets.


The only camera on Mars (other than the one attached to Opportunity) is held by the Spirit rover, which is busy exploring other portions of the red planet. So, there's no real photo opportunities for Opportunity. That's why the above picture was created to give you an idea of what the Opportunity looks like as it chills on the surface of Mars. A digital model of Opportunity was imposed on a real image of the inside of the Endurance Crater on Mars. The photo was actually taken by Opportunity, itself.