MER-B, Opportunity...
The Mars Rover, Opportunity, MER-B, or MER-1, is a well known record holder in all the history of the Mars Rovers. Launched to the planet, Mars on July 7, 2003, together with the MER (Mars Exploration Rover), Spirit, for the NASA's Mars Exploration Program, this rover has done quite well on his job. The launch altogether costed about 400 million dollars. MER-B has traveled 40.25 km over the dusty surface of Mars since 2004, which is well past his designated duration date, collecting samples of rocks, minerals, and rubble. In fact, Opportunity and Spirit proved so successful, that they founded a separate lab: The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) just for their findings and samples. Opportunity is well equipped with panoramic cameras, navigational cameras, a parachute, solar panels, a microscope, a sturdy drill as well as a periscope assembly for the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer which shows promising rocks and soils for closer examination, and determines the processes that formed them...Even the powerful Curiosity, launched in 2012 cannot live up to MER-1. With about 8.6 km accomplished, Curiosity still has a bit to catch up on. While no incidents have to yet occurred to either one of the rovers, they are still driving over the red, dusty surface of Mars, today...
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