Explore the incredible journey of NASA's Opportunity rover, which defied expectations by surviving nearly 15 years on Mars. Discover the engineering marvels and unexpected Martian conditions that contributed to its longevity. Plus, delve into the ethical challenges of interplanetary exploration and the measures scientists are taking to prevent contamination as we venture further into the cosmos.

Sources:

https://www.howtogeek.com/the-opportunity-mars-rover-3-months-survive-15-years/

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-spacefarers-contaminate-worlds-scientists-cosmos.html

Outline:

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:00:42) The Opportunity Mars Rover Was Meant to Last 3 Months—So How Did It Survive 15 Years?

(00:03:53) Spacefarers may contaminate other worlds—but scientists have plans to keep the cosmos clean