NASA’s rover Opportunity celebrates 14 years on Mars, almost 14 years longer than planned

When it comes to NASA hardware, the Mars rover Opportunity might be the most incredible success story in the history of the group. Sure, countless satellites and probes have outlived their intended lifespans and provided scientific data well into their twilight years, but Opportunity is in a league of its own. The rover just celebrated its 14th year on the Red Planet and, in case you’re wondering, that’s almost 14 years longer than NASA had planned.

Opportunity flew skyward on July 7, 2003, and spent the next several months cruising to its eventual landing site. The hearty little robotic traveler touched down on January 25, 2004, and NASA immediately began using it to make observations and relay scientific data about one of our closest planetary neighbors. They moved fast because the rover was only intended to function for 90 days. Today, 14 years later, it’s still carrying out commands from its handlers here on Earth.
source:Google