Amazon and Amblin documentary ‘Good Night Oppy’ to tell the story of the Mars rover

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As NASA advances with its latest rover to Mars, a new film looks at the agency’s past “opportunity” to explore the Red Planet.

“Good Night Oppy,” an upcoming feature documentary produced by Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media, will tell the story of Opportunity, one of NASA’s twin Mars Exploration Rovers, and the connection that established itself between the robotic explorer and the people who built and managed it. Ryan White (“The Case Against 8”, “Assassins”) is directing the film, which is currently in production.

“I grew up on films like ‘ET The Extra-Terrestrial’ and ‘Wall-E’, so making a documentary with similar themes of wonder and awe has been a joy,” White said in a press release released by Amazon Studios on Friday, March 5. “We are excited to be working with Amazon to bring the story of Oppy and his humans to a global audience of all ages.”

In photos: How NASA said goodbye to the Opportunity rover on Mars

Launched in July 2003, a month after its twin rover Spirit left for Mars, Opportunity landed in the Meridiani Planum region of the planet on January 24, 2004. Designed to operate for 90 Martian (or soil) days and travel 1,100 meters (1,000 meters), Opportunity has exceeded all expectations with its endurance, value scientific and its longevity.

Exceeding 60 times its lifespan, the six-wheel rover the size of a golf cart has traveled 45 kilometers, farther than any previous wheel rover.

Throughout, Opportunity searched for evidence of the presence of water at sites where conditions might once have been favorable for the emergence of Martian life. Opportunity’s findings implied that conditions at Meridiani Planum may have been habitable for a period of time in the planet’s history.

The opportunity has ceased to communicate with Earth on June 10, 2018, when a Mars-wide dust storm blanketed its location at “Perseverance Valley,” a shallow channel incised from the ridge of the bottom edge of Endeavor Crater. After sending over a thousand commands to try to reestablish contact, NASA engineers Jet propulsion laboratoryJPL’s Space Flight Operations Center (JPL) made its final attempt to lift Opportunity on February 12, 2019.

The next day, with no response, the Opportunity mission was declared complete, completing a 15-year journey across the surface of Mars.

The last message the mobile sent – like paraphrased in a journalist’s tweet that went viral – was, “My battery is low and it’s getting dark.”

The story of ‘Good Night Oppy’, according to Amazon Studios, is’ that of a robot traveling alone on a planet, but driven (literally) by the connection and the extreme bond that has formed between man and machine. “.

“It was impossible not to fall in love with the story of Opy – a story of hope, ambition, adventure and surpassing expectations, and an exploration of the special relationship between humanity and technology. “Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, co-chairs of Amblin Television said in the same declaration.

JPL, which most recently landed NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars in February, supports the filmmakers of “Good Night Oppy”, providing them with unique access and imagery, as well as sharing the expertise and knowledge of its scientists on Opportunity’s mission. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) creates visual effects for the documentary, which promises to transport viewers to Mars alongside Opportunity.

“The innovation and determination that made Opy’s journey possible, as well as the spirit of discovery that drives the JPL team, are inspiring,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios . “As we celebrate their accomplishments, we are delighted to also be working with extremely talented filmmaker Ryan White and our friends at Amblin Television and Film 45 to bring this heartwarming story to life.”

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