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Mission record

Opportunity

Also known as MER 1, MER-B, Mars Exploration Rover B, Mars Exploration Rover 1

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Launched

Explore trajectory

Completed · Success

Opportunity (Mars Exploration Rover B or MER-1) is one of two rovers launched to Mars in mid-2003. The scientific goals of the rover missions are to gather data to help determine if life ever arose on Mars, characterize the climate of Mars, characterize the geology of Mars, and prepare for human exploration of Mars. It came to rest in a 20 m diameter crater at Terra Meridiani, also known as the Hematite Site because it displays evidence of coarse-grained hematite, an iron-rich mineral which typically forms in water. Opportunity explored Meridiani Terra, returning images and data from its scientific instruments, for over 14 years, and the final communication from the rover was received on 10 June 2018.

Destinations
Launch vehicle
Delta II 7925
Launch site
Cape Canaveral, United States
Countries
United States
Mission types
Rover, Lander

Chronology

Mission timeline

  1. Launch

    Launched on a Delta II 7925

    Opportunity was launched on a heavy Delta II 7925H on 8 July 2003 at 03:18:15 UT (July 7, 11:18:15 p.m. EDT), and the launch/orbital information page gives the same instant as 2003-07-08T03:18:15Z. The pages disagree about the vehicle and the disagreement is recorded rather than resolved: the master catalog text says a heavy Delta II 7925H while its own Facts in Brief and the launch/orbital information page both print Delta II 7925, which is what this record commits.

    Earth

  2. Landing

    Came to rest inside a small crater at Terra Meridiani

    The landing took place at 04:54:22.7 UT (05:05:26.6 UT Earth received time, 12:05 a.m. EST) or approximately 1:15 p.m. local time, about two and a half hours before Earth set at Terra Meridiani. The spacecraft came to rest in a 20 m diameter crater at 1.946 degrees S and 354.473 degrees E (IAU 2000 body-centered coordinates). Unlike Spirit's page, which publishes only an Earth received time, this page publishes both and the committed value is the spacecraft time. The launch/orbital information page prints Decay Date: 2004-01-25, the same day. The landing platform's name is carried from GCAT rather than from NSSDCA: deepcat row D00820 gives Name Challenger Memorial Station and PLName MER-1 Lander.

    Mars

  3. Mission end

    Final communication received after more than 14 years

    Opportunity explored Meridiani Terra, returning images and data from its scientific instruments, for over 14 years. The final communication from the rover was received on 10 June 2018.

    Mars

Mission architecture

Vehicles

  • Opportunity · Rover

    Destinations: Mars

  • Challenger Memorial Station · Lander

    Destinations: Mars

Trajectory record

Trajectory dataset not yet available

No verified trajectory dataset is committed for this mission, so Mission Atlas renders no path.

Provenance

Sources

Each source is listed once and labeled with the mission, event, trajectory, or destination/body context it supports.

Data verified through September 2, 2026