NASA Mars Rover opportunity remains silent

NASA scientists have not yet heard of the Mars Opportunity Rover, which has remained silent since a global dust storm buried the red planet. According to the US Space Agency, it is possible that a layer of dust deposited on the solar panels of the rover by the dust storm blocks the sunlight that could recharge its batteries.

No one can say how much dust has been deposited on its panels, NASA said in a statement. The Agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory employs a combination of listening and command methods in case Opportunity is still operational. A windy period on Mars – known by the Opportunity team as the "dusting season" – occurs from November to January and has already cleared the vehicle panels. The team is hopeful that the cleaning of the dust could result in a loss of rover hearing during this period.

GOOD DEALS

The opportunities have exceeded several times the expected life. Opportunity and her twin, Spirit, were designed to last only 90 days on the Martian surface, hoping that the extreme winters and dust storms of the planet could shorten their mission. The rover lasted nearly 15 years. It last communicated on June 10 before being hibernated by the dust storm.

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