`Good Night Oppy’ will lift you up

Why is Rep. Stefanik meddling in state politics?

By Ken Tingley

They were called “Spirit” and “Opportunity.”

The twin robotic vehicles were conjured up out of thin air by scientists and engineers at NASA wanting to take the first steps on another planet.

Consider that again: Out of thin air.

They did not know how to get there, how to land without pulverizing the vehicle, how to power and control the vehicle from 70 million miles away and what instruments and tools it needed to complete its geologic mission about whether there was ever water and life on Mars.

Maybe you have to be from my generation to appreciate the impossibility.

Maybe you had to be one of those kids sitting in front of their black and white Magnavox televisions watching the countdown at Cape Canaveral and wondering what outer space was like; wondering if we would ever be able to visit the moon one day; and feeling like we were modern-day explorers who could do anything.

There was pride in being able to do that, awe about the possibilities for the future and wonder in the discoveries we might make.

By the time the two robotic vehicles launched toward Mars a month apart in 2003, our attention was elsewhere. We had a fleet of space shuttles still operational, but those missions had long since lost their allure and fascination for the public at large.

The rover missions lacked the glitz of “one for small step for man” or the shuttle delivery of the Hubble telescope. After all, “Spirit” and “Opportunity” were rock collectors on a 90-day mission some thought was impossible.

For two hours, “Good Night Oppy” took me back to a time when I believed anything was possible. Ryan White’s documentary film restored in me a sense of awe and wonder I thought was gone forever.

It tells the story through the eyes of the engineers and scientists who constructed and operated the two rovers. And yes, through the rovers themselves.

You probably know the story.

That original 90-day mission turned into a year, and then another year and another and just kept on going and going. “Spirit and “Opportunity” should have gotten Energizer Bunny commercials.

“Good Night Oppy” had me marveling all over again about the ingenuity of man and the power of our creations. We can do anything if we put our minds to it.

“Spirit” lasted seven years before breaking a wheel and getting bogged down in a sand dune and running out of power.

But “Opportunity” went on and on and on, making new and important discoveries, including information there was once life-supporting water on the surface of the planet.

We hear the story through the eyes of the NASA controllers and scientists who monitored the mission. They take us through catastrophic weather events, parts failures and computer shutdowns and the anxiety and heartbreak of eventually losing two close friends.

There were times I felt the tears coming.

The plucky little “Opportunity” outlasted the scientists who original worked and designed the mission.

By “Oppy’s” 15th year, controllers were describing the robot as having an arthritic camera arm and memory loss as if it was an elderly relative.

One of its final orders was to take a selfie of itself.

Mars rover “Opportunity” sent back this selfie as one of its final assignments.

During a catastrophic dust storm on the Martian surface in 2018, “Oppy” stopped operating and did not phone home.

Each morning, the NASA flight controllers would have a wake-up song to start the rover’s day. That final morning, they played the Billie Holiday classic “I’ll be seeing you.”

If you need a pick-me-up. If you need to capture that feeling that anything is possible, check out “Good Night Oppy” on Amazon Prime.

On July 30, 2020, the Mars rover Perseverance launched from Cape Canaveral. It landed on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021 and as of today, it has been operating successfully for 1 year, 10 months and 29 days.

It has big wheels to fill.

Reading the tea leaves

Rep. Elise Stefanik did something unusual this week. She proposed legislation that provide the state of New York with monetary incentives to roll back its bail reform measures.

Republicans have long been defenders of state rights, but Stefanik seems to be sticking the federal government’s nose right into the middle of this hornet’s nest.

She has been a regular critic of new Gov. Kathy Hochul for some time so you can’t help but wonder if she is hedging her bets if the Trump train derails. Could she be laying the foundation for a run for governor in four years as a backup plan?

Spielberg delivers

After seeing a couple of movie clunkers earlier this year, it was refreshing to experience Steven Spielberg’s new movie “The Fablemans.”

Spielberg tackled his own life story about growing up with a passion for film-making while his parents grew apart and eventually divorced. Anyone who has ever had a dream will appreciate this movie. And anyone who has ever experienced their parents’ breakup will also appreciate this film.

No superheroes in this movie, but one super director and writer.

Two more events

You will have two more chances this week to hear about my most recent book “The Last American Newspaper.” I will be speaking at the Glens Falls Senior Center at 1 p.m. Tuesday and at the Moreau Senior Center at 1 p.m. Thursday.

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