Opportunity (rover)

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/opportunity-rover

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Opportunity (rover)?5111 Martian sols (14 years, 138 days Earth time)
2. What is the rover identification?Mars Exploration Rover – B (MER-B), nicknamed Opportunity
3. What is the launch vehicle and date?Delta II rocket, July 7, 2003
4. Why did Opportunity use solar power and how did it survive dust storms?It used solar panels to recharge its batteries, and when dust covered the panels it went into a low‑power hibernation mode until sunlight returned.
5. Where did Opportunity land and why was that place chosen?It landed at Meridiani Planum, a flat plain with layered rocks that could show signs of past water.

Mars Exploration Rover Program: NASA's initiative to send two robotic rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, to Mars for geological and atmospheric study.
Meridiani Planum: A vast, iron-oxide-rich plain on Mars selected for Opportunity's landing due to its potential for sedimentary rock analysis.
Spectroscopy: The study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, used by Opportunity to determine the chemical composition of Martian materials.
Habitability: The potential for an environment, like Mars, to support life, often assessed by the presence of water and essential chemical elements.