"my battery is low and it's getting dark" – were never sent from Mars
The famous last words attributed to NASA's Opportunity rover, 'my battery is low and it's getting dark,' were never actually transmitted from Mars. Instead, these words originated from a science reporter's paraphrase of the rover's final telemetry data. The myth surrounding the rover's last message has persisted, despite clarifications about its true nature.
- ▪The Opportunity rover landed on Mars in January 2004 and operated for nearly 15 years.
- ▪Its last transmission was a routine data dump, not a poetic message.
- ▪The phrase was coined by a reporter in 2019, summarizing the rover's final telemetry readings.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Mars Daily The Opportunity rover's famous last words — "my battery is low and it's getting dark" — were never actually sent from Mars. The real story of where that sentence came from is stranger, and somehow sadder If you spend any time online, you've almost certainly encountered the story. By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process Published May 26, 2026 If you spend any time online, you’ve almost certainly encountered the story. When NASA’s Opportunity rover died on Mars, the tale goes, its final transmission was heartbreakingly human. As a planet-wide dust storm blotted out the sun and its solar panels failed, the little rover sent one last message home: my battery is low and it’s getting dark. People have wept over that line. They’ve shared it millions of times.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Space Daily.
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