NASA Opportunity rover: Could Elon Musk and SpaceX RESCUE stranded Mars rover?

It would be an incredibly difficult challenge to repurpose its onboard instruments to even clear dust from Opportunity’s solar panels.

And the final problem is time – even if NASA’s Curiosity rover could race to Opportunity, the Martian winter is about to arrive.

These freezing conditions should exacerbate any damage to Opportunity now it can no longer able to keep itself warm.

The twisting terrain of Vera Rubin Ridge on Mars has been home to NASA’s Curiosity for the last year.

As a final gesture before trekking toward a nearby region rich in clay, the probe captured a stunning 360-degree panorama of its final worksite at the ridge.

Curiosity, which has been exploring the Martian surface since 2012, continues to truck on.

This is despite worn wheels, a drill requiring significant repair work, and a memory glitch severely limiting its capacities.