Mars orbiter spots silent, dust-covered Opportunity rover as dust storm clears
Source: TechCrunch
Mars orbiter spots silent, dust-covered Opportunity rover as dust storm clears
Devin Coldewey @techcrunch / 23 hours ago
Mars rover Opportunity has been operating on the surface of the Red Planet since 2004, but a dust storm this summer may prove to be the mission’s toughest challenge. The enormous storm caked Opportunity in dust and blocked out the sun, its source of energy — and there’s no guarantee the batteries aren’t dead for good. But now that the skies have cleared, we at least have our first look at the workhorse rover from orbit since it went radio silent.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures fabulous imagery of the planet at a regular rate, but it happened that it passed over Perseverance Valley last week, where Opportunity is currently stationary. In the image you can just make it out as a few pixels raised above the surface.
That valley isn’t the only place that was hit by the storm — this was no flurry but a full-blown planet-spanning tempest that lasted for months. It isn’t the first dust storm Opportunity has weathered by a long shot, but it was probably the worst.
The last we heard from the rover was on June 10, at which point the storm was getting so intense that Opportunity couldn’t charge its batteries any more and lowered itself into a hibernation state, warmed only by its plutonium-powered heaters — if they’re even working.
Once a day, Opportunity’s deeply embedded safety circuit checks if there’s any power in its battery or coming in via solar.
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Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/25/mars-orbiter-spots-silent-dust-covered-opportunity-rover-as-dust-storm-clears/
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