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Mars Rovers Threatened By Dust Storms

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the batten-down-the-hatches dept.

mrcgran writes "Space.com is reporting a new potentially deadly weather condition threatening the Mars rovers: 'The first and largest dusty squall has reduced direct sunlight to Mars' surface by nearly 99 percent, an unprecedented threat for the solar-powered rovers. If the storm keeps up and thickens with even more dust, officials fear the rovers' batteries may empty and silence the robotic explorers forever. "This thing has been breaking records the past few days. The sun is 100 times fainter than normal. We're hoping for a big break in the storm soon, but that's just a hope." '"

6 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Really? by Zarhan · · Score: 5, Informative

    They have. The problem is that the batteries also are providing power for heaters to keep the rover warm during the night. They probably won't (especially the batteries) survive a deep-freeze to -40C, so when sun starts shining again there may be too many things broken to start the rover up again.

  2. Re:Really? by SoapBox17 · · Score: 4, Informative
    From TFA:

    John Callas, project manager for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., explained that a dead rover battery could allow cold temperature to maim Opportunity's electronics. "It's like leaving your laptop out in an Antarctic winter," Callas said. "Soldered joints in the electronics can contract due to thermal contraction. If a rover gets too cold, something essential will fail." Callas explained the situation is unprecedented, so the team isn't certain how much more light-blocking dust the rovers-especially Opportunity-can take.

    So, its not that the battery won't come alive again later. Its that the cold will do serious damage to the electronics on board. Without power, there's no way to keep them warm. Nights on mars go well below -25C (in the winter, the southern hemisphere can get as cold as -120C).
  3. Re:Really? by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 4, Informative

    The difference being that almost no light for too long of a period of time, not allowing the rovers to keep warm. They've always used batteries & solar power to keep the circuitry just warm enough to keep them from being damaged. Without that warmth, circuits can crack.

  4. Re:Really? by VENONA · · Score: 4, Informative

    Age is compounding the problem. JPL has a good article up at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/20070612. html.

    --
    What you do with a computer does not constitute the whole of computing.
  5. Re:Really? by ucblockhead · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, no. It was designed for three months. They, of course, made any changes that might make it last longer that didn't effect the budget, but they very definitely avoided any design improvements intended to lengthen it beyond 90 days, unless those improvements cost no money. The budget was very tight and many potential design improvements to make the rovers last longer were specifically rejected. (See the book by the project lead.)

    --
    The cake is a pie
  6. Re:Why not nuclear and/or wind power? by thetinguy · · Score: 4, Informative

    The next rover mission will no longer rely on solar panels. It will have nuclear reactors as the main source of power. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laborato ry#Power_source/