[meteorite-list] Dust Storm Cuts Energy Supply of NASA Mars Rover Spirit

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:46:51 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200811121846.KAA21615_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-206

Dust Storm Cuts Energy Supply of NASA Mars Rover Spirit
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
November 10, 2008

PASADENA, Calif. -- A dust storm on Mars has cut into the amount of
sunlight reaching the solar array on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover
Spirit, leaving the rover in a vulnerable state.

Spirit's solar array produced only 89 watt hours of energy during the
rover's 1,725th Martian day, which ended on Nov. 9. This is the lowest
output by either Spirit or its twin, Opportunity, in their nearly five
years on Mars, and much less energy than Spirit needs each day. The
charge level of Spirit's batteries is dropping so low, it risks
triggering an automated response of the rover trying to protect itself.

"The best chance for survival for Spirit is for us to maintain sequence
control of the rover, as opposed to it going into automated fault
protection," said John Callas of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif., project manager for Spirit and Opportunity.

Mission controllers are commanding Spirit to turn off some heaters,
including one that protects a science instrument, the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer, and take other measures to reduce energy
consumption. The commands will tell Spirit not to try communicating
again until Thursday. While pursuing that strategy the team also plans
to listen to Spirit frequently during the next few days to detect
signals the rover might send if it does go into a low-energy fault
protection mode.

Mars weather forecasts suggest the dust storm may be clearing now or in
the next few days. However, the dust falling from the sky onto Spirit's
solar array panels also could leave a lingering reduction in the amount
of electricity the rover can produce.

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena,
manages the Mars Exploration Rover project for the NASA Science Mission
Directorate, Washington.

Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-6278
guy.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

2008-206
Received on Wed 12 Nov 2008 01:46:51 PM PST