A loss was felt around the world when Opportunity, the NASA rover who patrolled the surface of Mars with both diligence and an undeniable sense of duty, met a noble end. The rover was taken over by a sand storm — killed by the very thing it spent its life studying — and found its resting place at a site appropriately named Perseverance Valley.

Meant to last a mere 90 days, Opportunity became an icon of resiliency as it continued to function for the next 14 years. While not human itself, this rover was a beacon of human brilliance and a testament to our ability to reach for the stars and grasp at the unknown.

Some will mourn the fact that we will be unable to provide a proper burial for the legend, but perhaps, Opportunity would want to sit in wait — waiting for those who built it to claim the planet that it now rests upon. If humanity takes to the stars, we must hope that there are those who will remember the rover who helped provide the opportunity.

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Jack Thompson / Sports & Health Editor