This is the Final Photograph from Opportunity (Mars)

Universe Today ^ | 3/14/19 | Evan Gough

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[Taipei]

With the mission originally planned to last 90 days, the 5,111-day Oportunity mission is, perhaps, the best return-on-investment any government program has ever seen.

[Rurudyne]

Engineers, programmers and scientists

vs

lawyers, sociologists and economists

[Kartographer]

Try getting 5111 work days from Congress!!!!

[NTHockey]

Maybe a prototype for Nomad.

[SunkenCiv]

Went out with a bang.

[Blue Highway]

Actually both Voyager missions have a much better return on investment then the Mars rover by decades.

[Cementjungle]

With the mission originally planned to last 90 days, the 5,111-day Oportunity mission is, perhaps, the best return-on-investment any government program has ever seen.

Spirit did pretty well too. Spirit lasted around 7 years.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Opportunity and Nelson Rockefeller.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Would it be feasible to include a protective shield that can be deployed in the event a dust storm develops?

[VTenigma]

Please no. They do enough damage as is.

[Fresh Wind]

Engineers, programmers and scientists

vs

Program managers

[exDemMom]

Aw, poor dedicated little guy.

Images from xkcd.com. This was an epitaph for endeavor, but is appropriate here.

[neverevergiveup]

Thanks for posting. Just incredible that we can sit here in the am, have coffee etc., and look at pictures from Mars.

[BeauBo]

[knarf]

I can’t remember being moved by a cartoon before now.

[Hot Tabasco]

This is the Final Photograph from Opportunity

[LibWhacker]

Found this quote online. It explains it far better than I ever could:

However, Opportunity relies on solar panels to keep its batteries charged. NASA placed the rover in hibernation when the global dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching the rover, but the storm lasted weeks. The rover stopped sending routine signals early on, suggesting it didn’t even have enough power to keep its heaters operational. Without heat, the batteries may never work again.

A shield couldn't prevent dust blocking out sunlight needed by the solar panels. My first inclination to this realization was to say, "Well, heck, you should've sent a more powerful RTG!". But I'm glad I didn't because first, there were obviously weight restrictions and second, the rovers were only designed to last 90 days. Something was bound to go wrong one day and end the mission. It's remarkable that that something didn't come along for 14 years.