Rover Update

I wrote previously about the unbelievable resilience of the Spirit and Opportunity exploration rovers on Mars.

Soon after I wrote that, a huge planetwide dust storm hit Mars. Since the rovers rely on solar power for their life and energy, and the storm was so thick that the sun was blocked out, the rovers were almost killed by the storm.

They had to shut down almost all functions except some heaters to keep the electronics warm. They told the rovers to only report in every three or four days, not to move, and to take or transmit no scientific data.

Previously, dust had accumulated on the solar panels, hampering operations due to decreased power from the sun. Fortuitous little dust devils came by and cleaned off the panels, like some kind of natural Martian car wash.

The dust storms were another matter. I wondered whether the rovers had finally met their match.

Amazingly they survived, again. Although the rovers, by definition of their long life and robust survival, could be considered "perfect", the storm made me think of another device that would have been useful. A little wind generator on an arm.

While I am not suggesting that this should have been included on the mission, it could not have been justified by the weight and given the 90 day planned life of the probe, it could be considered for future Martian operations.

When there is no sun on Mars, there is plenty of wind. Perhaps, if the generator was on a sufficiently versatile arm, it could also be powered, run in reverse as a fan rather than a generator, and used to clean the dust off the solar panels.

I am looking forward to the results from the Phoenix probe that is due to land in the Mars polar region next year to try to find signs of life in the Martian ice.

I wonder if the Spirit and Opportunity rovers will last until then?