Mars exploration craft debris. Image from NASA's Mars exploration rover Opportunity of its craft's heat shield and other debris near its landing site. The heat shield (upper left), which protected Opportunity on its descent to Mars, has become inverted, revealing its metallic insulation layer. At right is the impact crater made by the heat shield. Images and measurements taken by Opportunity of the heatshield were used to evaluate its performance. Opportunity and its sister rover Spirit were launched in the summer of 2003. Opportunity landed on Mars on 24 January 2004. Its mission is to analyse soil and rocks and search for water. Image taken on Opportunity's 330th Martian day, 28 December 2004.