What was the original planned mission duration for Spirit and Opportunity rovers?
Answer
90 Martian sols
The Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were initially designed and slated for missions expected to last only 90 Martian sols. This relatively short expected lifespan likely reflected the initial high degree of uncertainty regarding the survival rate of robotic hardware upon landing on the Martian surface. The fact that Opportunity operated for nearly 15 Earth years, far exceeding this conservative initial budget, became a major highlight of the mission’s engineering success, allowing for scientific returns vastly beyond the original scope.
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