Comments on: Global image of Mars from UAE’s Al-Amal orbiter

By: Michael McNeil

Michael McNeil — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:49:54 +0000

As the pic at top illustrates, the quantity of sunlight being “blocked” isn’t large, together with the crater wall dozens of miles away being still visible, so the quantity of dust suspended in the air really isn’t all that much.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 21:30:51 +0000

In reply to Lemuel Ricafort Vargas. Lemuel Ricafort Vargas: No. The amount of material in a Martian dust storm is quite small. Remember, the atmosphere is 1/1000th as thick as Earth's. The dust can block sunlight during a storm, and it can reduce the efficiency of a solar panel significantly, but neither requires very much dust.

By: Lemuel Ricafort Vargas

Lemuel Ricafort Vargas — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 17:30:21 +0000

Robert:
Might it be possible that Opportunity might have been buried completely (or partially), when that global dust storm hit it?

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 04:27:37 +0000

In reply to Andi. Andi: No. Opportunity is dead. Once its power dropped so low that it could no longer maintain the instruments at a certain temperature, they froze.

By: Andi

Andi — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 04:24:43 +0000

Just wondering- should a dust devil come along and blow the dust off of Opportunity, could it actually wake up?

By: Michael McNeil

Michael McNeil — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:57:59 +0000

Too bad there’s no mechanism provided for Ingenuity to return and get a recharge boost from Perseverence’s nuclear power, if needed. Or at least provide a blower on Perseverence that could blow off Ingenuity’s solar panels as Perseverence drives over it.

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:56:31 +0000

Bob,

Is the plan for all Mars probes going forward to be powered by nuclear sources. Would seem insane to me to send something into that environment which was reliant on solar power.