Opportunity operated on Mars for more than 14 years before NASA ended its mission in 2019.
The rover landed in Meridiani Planum on January 25, 2004, three weeks after its twin Spirit reached Mars. NASA designed both rovers for missions lasting about 90 Martian sols, but Opportunity continued exploring for 5,498 sols, equivalent to roughly 15 Earth years. It traveled farther on another world than any vehicle at the time.
Opportunity examined rocks and craters for evidence of ancient water activity. Its discoveries included mineral deposits and geological features indicating that liquid water had once affected parts of Mars. A planet-wide dust storm in 2018 blocked sunlight from its solar panels and ended communication.
Opportunity is often confused with Curiosity, which is larger and powered by a radioisotope generator rather than solar panels. NASA declared Opportunity's mission complete on February 13, 2019, after repeated attempts to re-establish contact.