Crater Crawling
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April 16, 2011 What is likely the final destination for the Mars Opportunity rover, Endeavour crater, looms on the horizon in this April 10 view. The crater's rim looks like small hills on the horizon, about 3.7 miles (6 km) from the rover, which has been covering up to 300 feet per day. Even so, it will take months for Opportunity to reach the crater, which is about 14 miles (22 km) in diameter. The rover, which arrived at Mars in January 2004, was designed for a three-month mission. If it survives the trek to Endeavour, it is likely to spend the rest of its lifetime exploring the crater. Opportunity's two radio antennas and some of its power-generating solar cells are at the bottom of the image. [NASA/JPL]
