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The Rover Opportunity has been operating on the surface of the Red Planet since 2004, but a dust storm this summer could prove to be the most difficult challenge of the mission. The huge storm poisoned the dust and blocked the sun, its source of energy – and there is no guarantee that the batteries will not be dead for good. But now that the sky has cleared, we have at least our first look at the workaholic rover since he's been on the radio.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe captures fabulous images of the planet at a steady pace, but it happened over Perseverance Valley last week, where Opportunity is currently stationary. In the picture, you just need to make a few pixels above the surface.
This valley was not the only one affected by the storm – it was not a wave but a generalized storm that lasted for months. This is not the first dust storm. Opportunity went through a long time, but it was probably the worst.
The last time we heard about the rover was on June 10, how much the storm was getting so intense that Opportunity could not recharge its batteries and was falling into a state of hibernation, heated only by its plutonium heaters. even works
Once a day, Opportunity's deep-rooted security circuit checks if there is power in the battery or if it is going through solar power.
"Now that the sun is shining through the dust, he will start charging his batteries" explained Jim Watzin, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA. And so, in the coming weeks, he will have enough power to wake up and call Earth back. But we do not know when this call will come. "
A selfie opportunity from 2004, when Opportunity was relatively young (and had "only" doubled the duration of his mission).
That's hope anyway. There is of course the possibility that the dust has obscured the solar cells too much, or a power failure during the storm has prevented the safety circuit from working … the simulation scenarios are not lacking. But the exploration of space is a unique combination of deep realism and deep optimism, and there is no way for Opportunity managers to give all the time needed to resume contact.
The team has sent additional signals to elicit an Opportunity response and will continue to do so in the coming weeks, but even that will not be the end of the line.
Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator of NASA The Scientific Mission Directorate assured the many superfluity of opportunity that they plan to continue listening until at least January. And you can bet that some sentimental guys will find a way to check from time to time after that.
If the worst happened and the dust storm seemed to make the rover inactive, it would still be a hell of a race – Opportunity had to last 90 days and last 14 years. Nothing sad about it. But hopefully we'll soon hear this long-time explorer.
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