| Subject: Opportunity |
Author:
Blobrana
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Date Posted: 15:52:11 01/25/04 Sun
Opportunity, the second of two Nasa rovers, has successfully landed on the Martian surface where it will search for signs of water on the planet.
The new rover touched down at 0505 GMT, halfway around the red planet from where Spirit rover landed on 4 January.
Opportunity landed on a smooth, flat plain, in the highest altitude landing ever attempted by Nasa.
The Meridium Planum is a zone of grey hematite, an iron oxide.
The Martian bedrock has a slab-like form which scientists said could have been created either by volcanic activity or by the action of water.
A periodic fluctuation in the lander's signal first suggested that it rolled on the Martian surface for more than 20 minutes after landing. There are no fault tones, indicating that there were no errors during landing and rolling.
Opportunity approached the Martian surface at a speed of 19,000 km/h (12,000 mph). It deployed a parachute to slow its descent and airbags to cushion its landing.
Rockets on the lander counteracted light gusts of wind during the descent.
Because of this, it touched down with a force of between two to three Gs - an exceptionally gentle landing. The rover was designed to withstand a landing of up to 40 Gs.
landing about 24 kilometers downrange from the center of the target area.The lander is
lying on one of its side petals, so the next step is to make itself upright and deflate its airbags.
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