The latest development of the Mars dust storm that threatened to damage the two rovers on the surface indicates it has weakened, but would not calm down, so NASA officials are forced to put the robotic probes on regular nap-time schedules to save energy.
Precaution measures were necessary
after the gigantic storm, covering large areas of the surface, blocked the sunlight from reflecting of the surface for more than a week. Presently, the storm is only blowing off dust around 900 km (560 mi) east of the rovers and officials are concerned that if it gets closer, the dust it would deposit might prevent Opportunity and Mars Spirit from using their solar arrays to produce electricity.
"The storm is affecting both rovers and reducing the power levels on Opportunity," said John Callas, Mars Exploration Rover project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For now, the 7-million-square-miles (18 million square kilometers) wide storm is covering a quarter of Mars' southern hemisphere, which prevents the rovers from producing electricity from sunlight. The power supply is continuously dropping, so they were put in a sort of temporary hibernation, until the storm passes or ceases.
"We only plan to stay up for a short period of time, and then we command the vehicle to go to sleep," said Jacob Matijevic, chief of the rover engineering team, who is based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
"Fortunately this [storm] came at a time when it's the summer season in the south of Mars, so we don't need the energy for survival heat." In winter, temperatures could reach -125°F (-87°C) and this could cause extensive damage to the rovers.
"Once the skies are clear, energy will be back up to levels where we can drive and do science," concluded Matijevic.
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