Photo: NASA
On June 10, 2018, Earth-based scientists lost contact with the Martian rover known as Opportunity. The machine became the latest victim of the harsh conditions of the Martian reddish plains, but one whose story deserves to be told.
Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television, and Tripod Media are working together with director Ryan White to do just that through a feature-length documentary titled Good Night Oppy. As per the official description, it should be an emotional tale of the bond between the rover and the people who made it. It will also show its exploits while on mission millions of miles away from home.
"I grew up on films like 'E.T.' and 'Wall-E,' so to make a documentary with similar themes of wonder and awe has been a joy," White said in a statement at the end of last week. "We're thrilled to work with Amazon to bring the story of Oppy and her humans to global audiences of all ages."
The Opportunity arrived on Mars back in 2004, about three weeks after its brother Spirit did the same. The initial duration of the mission was of only 90 days, but the rover greatly exceed expectations, and was lost about 14 years after it landed. That wasn’t even the rover’s fault, as hadn’t it been for massive forces outside of its control, it would probably still be up and running.
The rover was killed by a massive, planet-wide dust storm that engulfed Mars in June 2018. Not directly by it, but because vast amounts of dust blocked both sunlight and the solar panels of the rover that were supposed to capture it.
For a long time, NASA hoped once the skies cleared, so would the solar panels. It sent commands to the rover three times a week, with no success, until it eventually gave up on all efforts to recover it in February 2019.
During its stay on the Red Planet, Oppy, as it was known, set the record for the longest one-drive on Mars in March 2005, when it moved 721 feet (220 meters) across the Martian surface. During its stay there, it also traveled farther than any other Earth-machine on another planet: 28 miles (45 kilometers).
Good Night Oppy is currently in production, with an expected release date in the fall of 2021.
"I grew up on films like 'E.T.' and 'Wall-E,' so to make a documentary with similar themes of wonder and awe has been a joy," White said in a statement at the end of last week. "We're thrilled to work with Amazon to bring the story of Oppy and her humans to global audiences of all ages."
The Opportunity arrived on Mars back in 2004, about three weeks after its brother Spirit did the same. The initial duration of the mission was of only 90 days, but the rover greatly exceed expectations, and was lost about 14 years after it landed. That wasn’t even the rover’s fault, as hadn’t it been for massive forces outside of its control, it would probably still be up and running.
The rover was killed by a massive, planet-wide dust storm that engulfed Mars in June 2018. Not directly by it, but because vast amounts of dust blocked both sunlight and the solar panels of the rover that were supposed to capture it.
For a long time, NASA hoped once the skies cleared, so would the solar panels. It sent commands to the rover three times a week, with no success, until it eventually gave up on all efforts to recover it in February 2019.
During its stay on the Red Planet, Oppy, as it was known, set the record for the longest one-drive on Mars in March 2005, when it moved 721 feet (220 meters) across the Martian surface. During its stay there, it also traveled farther than any other Earth-machine on another planet: 28 miles (45 kilometers).
Good Night Oppy is currently in production, with an expected release date in the fall of 2021.
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