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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." '"

3 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Mar Is Not So Hostile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    If the rover was here it would have been blown up by now.

  2. Next Slashdot story.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Clean Butt Threatened From A Giant Poo ...

    __
    MMmMm What a James...MmmMm what a baby little James

  3. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    -25C? Pffft, it gets a lot colder than that up north on earth. It'd be easy to build something that could take that. They have a perfect testing ground right here. Boy howdy, bunch of morans if ya ask me.