“Because (Opportunity has) such a small team, we have a lot more of a family feel, and that’s something I haven’t really found in any of the other projects I’ve worked on. We’re all really close, we hang out on the weekends, we go out to dinner, and I haven’t really gotten that vibe with any other project. Not that we’re not friendly on other projects, just that this seems to hold a special place in our hearts and that we bond together.

I think Opportunity’s made the solid case that at least in some point in the past, Mars was habitable. We don’t know when, we don’t know if it ever happened, but at least there were several spots on Mars where we could have potentially had life whether now or in the past and I think that’s really fascinating.

For me personally, I think Opportunity has always just kind of always persevered. Mars has thrown a heck of a lot at her. This isn’t even her first global dust storm. She’s survived so much. Parts have broken along the way. There’ve been problems along the way. Yet every single time, we’ve overcome it and this is finally the one we can’t overcome. It’s kind of bittersweet that she’s dying in Perseverance Valley. I wish she could have persevered a little longer, but Mars had other plans.

The team has certainly had its ups and its downs and some people have had to leave to other projects already. We’re running on a skeleton crew at this point. It’s sort of sad to see this family disbanded.”