A NASA mission launched on two spacecraft on 10 June and 7 July 2003 and arriving at Mars on 4 January and 25 January 2004. The craft released two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, weighing 150 kg, on different regions of the planet to search for evidence of water from the planet's past. Spirit’s mission ended in 2010 after the rover suffered wheel damage, becoming stuck at a location on Mars known as Troy and was unable to collect sufficient sunlight during the following Martian winter, similarly suffering a lack of power and cold damage. Opportunity’s planned three-month mission lasted more than 15 years — 50 times longer than expected. The rover ultimately sent back more than 200,000 raw images and travelled a total of 45 km. Opportunity first fell silent on 10 June 2018 after the largest recorded dust storm on Mars covered the red Planet’s skies with dust, blotting out the Sun. Opportunity, which relied on sunlight to charge its batteries and keep its electronics warm, went to sleep as a protective measure against the prolonged period of darkness, but never recovered. NASA officially the mission ended on 13 February 2019.

https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/home/ Provides up-to-date news and highlights of the mission, rover status, the time on Mars, and information for educators and students.