8 minute time-lapse condenses the NASA Opportunity rover’s 11 year journey

The Opportunity rover is quite a beast, as far as rovers are concerned. Not only does it refuse to die, but it takes selfies as well. Originally slated for a 90-day mission beginning on January 24, 2004, Opportunity has somehow kept chugging along the Red Planet, traversing over 26.2 miles between 2004 and 2015. To commemorate its service to humanity, NASA has condenses 11 years of footage — complete with odometer readings and terrain vibration data — in an eight minute video highlighting the machine’s journey, which you can watch below.

Opportunity’s most notable discoveries include:

1. The first meteorite on another planet.

2. Evidence of drinkable water from the presence of iron-rich spheres

3. The most conclusive evidence to date suggesting the presence of water was discovered in a thin, bright vein of gypsum along the rim of the Endeavour Crater where opportunity currently residues. The gypsum is believed to have deposited billions of years ago.

4. The presence of clay minerals in a segment of the Endeavour Crater implies the area was once exposed to neutral and not acidic water.

Source: Space.com