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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Opportunity

Opportunity stories: 7 news summaries

Built for 90 Days, Mars
Rovers Mark 5 Years

Spirit, Opportunity brave adversity, and they're not done yet

Jan 3, 09 3:55 PM CST
(Newser) - NASA’s twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity are celebrating their fifth birthdays on Mars after surviving more than 20 times their expected lifespan, Space.com reports. The two probes were each built for a 90-day trek across the Red Planet but have survived computer glitches and blistering weather conditions. “... More »

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NASA • Mars • Opportunity • Spirit • rover

 7 Minutes of Danger
 in Mars Quest 

Probe makes risky landing Sunday in hunt for water

May 23, 08 2:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - The latest NASA mission searching for signs of life on Mars comes to a heart-pounding climax Sunday as the Phoenix Lander attempts to touch down at the red planet's pole in a hunt for water. The lander must perform complex maneuvers in which the whole mission is at risk for... More »

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NASA • water • Mars • Arctic • University of Arizona • Opportunity • Spirit • Tufts University • Phoenix Mars Lander • life • Jet Propulsion Laboratory • polar region • Washington State University

 Mars Rovers Dodge NASA Cuts 

Budget called for 1 to hibernate, 1 to go part-time

Mar 26, 08 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - NASA has spared its far-flung Mars rovers from budget cuts, reports the Washington Post, after its administrator got wind of the plan to hibernate Spirit and roll Opportunity back to part time. "Closing down either of the rovers is not on the table," his spokesman said, and... More »

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NASA • Mars • budget • Opportunity • Spirit • rover • Mars rover • Mars Science Laboratory • Mars Odyssey • Michael Griffin • NASA administrator

 $4M NASA Cut May Strand 
 Mars Rover  

Shrinking budget could also leave 300 jobless

Mar 24, 08 8:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA confirmed and denied plans today to scuttle a Mars rover and fire 300 employees, CNN reports. The space agency first announced a $4 million cut to the Mars program's $20 million budget and vowed to unplug one of two rovers roaming the red planet. Then a NASA spokesman told... More »

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NASA • space exploration • Mars • Opportunity • Spirit • rover • budget cuts • job cuts

Opportunity Knocks on Mars

NASA's rover explores bedrock that could be ancient Martian surface

Sep 28, 07 10:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - NASA’s Martian explorer Opportunity reached its first destination inside the cavernous Victoria Crater yesterday and prepared to get to work drilling into bright rock layers to collect data. The six-wheeled robot last month began the precarious decline into the crater, headed for a shiny piece of bedrock that scientists... More »

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NASA • Mars • Opportunity • Spirit • rover • robot • Victoria Crater

Mars Rover Steps Into Crater

NASA vehicle got second chance, after withstanding a two-month dust storm

Sep 13, 07 6:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - The dust has finally settled on Mars, and NASA's Mars rover Opportunity took its first steps Tuesday 13 feet into the half-mile-wide Victoria Crater—and then backed out after slipping beyond acceptable levels. With Opportunity's six wheels perched over the lip of the crater, researchers paused the operation in order... More »

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NASA • space exploration • Mars • space • Opportunity • rover

(Newser) - Mars Opportunity Rover has been perched on the edge of Victoria Crater on Mars for nine months waiting to descend and explore the crater. Then, this week, when scientists were to send it down, a dust storm thousands of miles wide partially blocked the sunlight Opportunity needs to recharge its... More »

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Mars • Opportunity • Spirit • rover

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