The End May Be Near for Mars Rovers ; Dust Storms Hide Sunlight Needed to Power Vehicles

Summary

---

WASHINGTON The hardy Mars rover Opportunity is struggling to stay alive in the midst of a severe and long-lasting Martian dust storm posing the greatest threat so far to the unexpectedly long- lived vehicle.

The series of dust storms has blocked 99 percent of the direct sunlight that the rover needs to generate power, and on Wednesday the panels were generating only 148 watt hours barely enough to keep the vehicle functioning. Without power to warm its electronic instruments and computers, the rover would grind to a halt for good.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

The End May Be Near for Mars Rovers ; Dust Storms Hide Sunlight Needed to Power Vehicles

"We're rooting for our rovers to survive these storms, but they were never designed for conditions this intense," said S. Alan Stern, associat...

See the full content of this document

---