Endurance (crater)

This article is about the crater on Mars. For other uses, see Endurance (disambiguation).
Martian crater Endurance
View of Endurance from orbit.
PlanetMars
RegionMeridiani Planum
Coordinates1°54′S 354°30′E / 1.9°S 354.5°E / -1.9; 354.5
QuadrangleMargaritifer Sinus
Diameter130 m[1]
DepthApprox. 20 m (66 ft)
DiscovererOpportunity rover
EponymThe ship Endurance

Endurance is an impact crater lying situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars. This crater was visited by the Opportunity rover from May [2] until December 2004. Mission scientists named the crater after the ship Endurance that sailed to the Antarctic through the Weddell Sea during the ill-fated 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, considered to be the last expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration organized by Ernest Shackleton.

The rover entered the crater interior on its 134th mission sol (June 15), and exited on the 315th sol (December 14).[3] During this time it traversed various obstacles, steep inclines, and overcame large wheel slippage when driving over fine sand.

  1. ^ Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Press Release Images: Opportunity
  2. ^ NASA http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/wir/20040502b.html
  3. ^ NASA http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/wir/20041212f.html