It is not only since Elon Musk’s SpaceX that enormous progress has been made in space research. Year after year, new milestones are achieved – on the one hand by astronomers, but also by state-of-the-art technology. The story of the Mars rover duo Opportunity and Spirit, who explored Mars for years, can now be admired as a documentary on Amazon Prime Video. “Gute Nacht, Oppy” is available as a subscription to the streaming service
That’s what “Goodnight, Oppy” is about
In 2002, the Mars Exploration Rover mission was launched. State-of-the-art rovers should search for water on Mars and record other research data. Although the calculated time window of 90 days of lifespan was well exceeded, both robots eventually met their end. The recordings and research data that remain will go down in history. The documentary “Gute Nacht, Oppy” captures the hour from birth, to the robber’s last breath, to put it exaggeratedly.
Sympathetic robot creatures
“Good Night Oppy” relies on an almost classic personification from the very first minute. Opportunity (Oppy for short) and Spirit (both female, by the way), facing Martian storms, winter freezing temperatures, and one problem after another, quickly bring to mind the adorable Wall-E from the Pixar blacksmith shop. Since Oppy has a no less important mission and goes in the same direction with his tough mind, sympathy for the little robot quickly arises here too.
Suitable for children and not too scientific at any point, the documentation does everything to make the sequence of events as gripping as possible. From the hour of birth in the lab, through the months of preparation to the actual adventure on the red planet, each stage is captured in due measure. However, the exploration of Mars that follows halfway through is the most fun and strikes a great balance between the Rovers’ lives and the science background.
Space exploration has rarely been so beautiful
Because even the scientists had to settle for figures and images that had shifted in time, an appealing visual language is used all the more to record what is happening millions of miles away in an understandable way. The staging is therefore beautifully staged, with the graphic animations greatly assisting in understanding and at the end no question remains unanswered. Moving between documentary production and adventure film, “Gute Nacht, Oppy” is probably the most vivid documentation of a space project, at least to date.
Parallels to The Martian are appropriate at every turn, especially as the rovers face one challenge after another. The ingenuity of the scientists, but also the generally deep bond between man and machine comes to the surface time and time again. It’s a great portrait of how much heart and soul can go into a robot. “Gute Nacht, Oppy” is primarily a scientific documentary, but at the same time a moving and emotional film, which is especially reflected in the in-depth interviews with the engineers.
Ten years after the landing of Oppy, a new era seems to be dawning. After Oppy says goodnight forever, the sequel, Perseverance, enters the next round. Who knows what lies ahead in the age of SpaceX streams and technological innovation. All in all, the documentary offers incredible pleasure and warmth and also invites you to watch it again. Oppy goes down in history twice, firstly for his exploration of Mars, but also for the emotional sympathy he leaves with his creators and the public. A little robot, a big legacy.