Opportunity just clicked over a bunch of zeros on the odometer this afternoon. The current reading is 10,023.19 m.

Congratulations to all the team! And many more kms to come!

Congrats to the team on another amazing milestone. >10km >1000 sols, crazy, I still find it hard to believe.



2 more would be a nice start - 20 times the original requirement!

Congratulations and welcome to UMSF, Dr. Adler.

A bit of trivia:
Opportunity has only 517 meters to go to pass Lunokhod 1's total distance traveled of 10,540 meters. (Source: Andrew Wilson's book "Solar System Log")

Bravo, and welcome!
After a lot of tough decisions and sleepless months, you and the rest of the team have come a long way. We're all very gratefull for that.

Nico

This may be a silly Question but has Oppy or Spirit passed the milage that any of the Lunar Rover's did on the MOON?

Just curious is all

No, neither MER is close to any one of the LRVs in terms of total mileage. But the two MERs combined are approaching half to two-thirds of what one LRV drove, on average.

I'm thinking in terms of the LRVs driving an average of about 25 km per mission. The longest distance traveled by an LRV was on Apollo 17, I know, and I think LRV-2 on Apollo 16 traveled the shortest distance (by a small bit). I seem to recall that Apollo 17's LRV-3 traveled about 32 km, so I believe the average per LRV should be in the 25 km range.

And the total MER mileage is, what, about 16 km at this point? If they stay active and Oppy keeps adding kilometers running circles around Victoria, the total of both MERs may equal or exceed the average single LRV driving distance.

Of course, the total time spent driving LRVs on the Moon was probably eight to ten hours over the three J missions, while it has taken three years for the MERs to get as far as they have. But that's just the nature of the beast. I'm still in awe of what the MERs can do.

-the other Doug

Let me add my personal thanks for this wonderful journey.

What an amazing job both MER teams have done keeping these Rovers going and pushing back the horizon a little further everyday...

...and they've done it even though our combined UMSF-voices in the backseat have been saying, "Are we there yet?!"

Thanks
Astro0

PS: Let me add, that I think everyone in the DSN would also like to thank the MER teams for journey. We'll keep getting the data, for as long as the Rovers keep rolling (and probably even after that!)

Welcome!

I'm already dreaming about the morning when I arrive here and read your post (hope not the 2nd one...)saying:

...The current reading is 20,023.19 m.

10,000 metres - I think that means it neads a new roadworthiness test..a. Martian MOT - I'll have to sort that out, I know a friendly mechanic.

For a vehicle that's spent a LOT of time stationary if you consider Purgatory and Olympia, and with a requirement of 600m...10k is frankly a biblical achievment.

Doug

Yes, in fact I was thinking about all the negotiating we did over the 600 m requirement. But while the 10,000 m is beyond remarkable in total stamina (way beyond the life qualification on the motor drives for example), it's actually pretty close to the original 600 m requirement in speed. That 600 m was over 90 sols. Considering how long it's been there, I get an average of 850 m per primary mission -- not a huge amount more than the original 600 m requirement.

PIA09173: Opportunity Passes 10-Kilometer Mark

Imagine landing 4k south of Eagle right into Purgatory....that Primary mission would have SUCKED

Doug

...or a hole-in-one at the very center of Endurance in those dunes instead of Eagle. Actually, that wouldn't be TOO bad, unless Oppy was forced into becoming a fixed lander rather than a rover...

Dr. Adler, if I may ask, just how much circumnavigation of Victoria is currently planned? IIRC, the team doesn't intend to go all the way around. Also, if we do pass 20 km some terrific day, where do you think Oppy will be (i.e., any tentative plans for a target beyond Vicky)? Thanks!

Nprev, Mark Adler isn't Mission Manager for the rovers any more -- he's moved on to bigger (though not necessarily better!) things as the Chief Mission Concept Architect at JPL. Ask him instead when we're going to get a sample back from Mars

Hi and welcome to UMSF, Mark!

--Emily

I stand happily corrected, Emily...and your question is much better!

Welcome Mark and congratulations to you and the entire team.

You have provided all of us here and millions outside with the Adventures of a Lifetime !

Please keep those girls safe and swift with many more >600 m / 90 Sol segments

ken

Another thanks! And good job!

This is the approximate position of the 10km mark on a sol 1080 navcam image.

Click to view attachment

I would also like to congratulate the whole team for this great achievement! It's hard to believe that it was three years ago when the rovers landed. I returned from holiday just then and had missed out completely on Oppy's landing and Spirit's trouble. That were exciting times and they still are! I simply can't imagine what it will be like without the rovers around and the constant stream of pictures...

Thanks again!

Michael

It's unbelievable how far the rovers has gone. 10 km on Mars... More than 3 years of roving... That exploded the primary hopes whose consits in 3 months end 200 or 300 m .
I want to congratulate JPL teams, after all, it's thanks to her that we can receive nowadays the wonderfull pictures the rovers send.

I'm pretty sure future missions will surpass this one in terms of longevity, driving distance, downlink data, etc. in *absolute* numbers. However, speaking about the same points but relative to the initial mission requirements, I'm pretty sure too that the MER mission will be remembered as a "once in a lifetime experience".

Thanks to the whole MER team for an unforgetable mission.

Why did Opportunity move so far away from the edge of Victoria crater? Isn't the rover ssupposed to go round the crater? Now it's moving away,or so it looks...

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/pre...5L000M1_br2.jpg


Michiel

I think this map from this thread gives a good idea of the probable thinking behind the move.

WOOHOO! Keep them

Question for Dr. Adler:

Do those 10,023.19 meters include the "distance" just spinning the wheels at Purgatory Dune, or is it the distance Oppy actually moved ?

(Not that it really matters as I take any reason to celebrate some rover achievement )

I guess 10000 meters really driven distance as measured on maps

I guess that Dr Adler never thought he'll post such a message 3 years ago. I feel so close to the rovers and the JPL team that I've got to join for congratulations.

Agreed...sometimes I can't believe what an important part of my own life their exploits have become. Seeing new vistas on an alien world almost every day for three years...this must have been how the great explorers felt, and with the advent of the Internet millions of us are now privileged to share this feeling.

Congratulations aren't enough; heart-felt thank-yous aren't enough, either, but unfortunately they'll have to do. Thanks to Dr. Adler, Steve Squyres & the whole MER team for giving us all an important and valuable experience...our lives would have been poorer without it. THIS is what my tax dollars are for!!!

I checked my notes back (source : http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov) and found that on march17th 2006 Spirit was for the last time ahead of Oppy (6797m/6735m). On March 22nd we had 6822/6908.
The leading started around sol 766, 314 sols ago and 3100m have been covered since... very close to 10m per sol or, put in Mark Adler's way 900m per primary mission. Our dear Oppy is a very consistent little old lady. I'm not sure to be in such a good shape when I'll be 900 years old.