Opportunity sets endurance record on Mars

William Atkins
Friday, 21 May 2010 00:28

Science - Space

On Thursday, Thursday, May 20, 2010, the NASA rover Opportunity will set the record for the longest continuously running spacecraft on the Martian surface.

 

According to the NASA media brief NASA's Mars Rovers Set Longevity Record On The Red Planet, Satellite Interviews With Expert Available, 'The Opportunity rover will surpass the duration record set by NASA's Viking 1 Lander of six years and 116 days operating on the surface of Mars.'

The NASA article adds, 'Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit, began working on Mars three weeks before Opportunity. However, Spirit has been out of communication since March 22. If it awakens from hibernation and resumes communication, that rover will attain the Martian surface longevity record.'

The twin Mars Exploration Rover called Spirit is now a stationary craft on Mars, having been unable to extract itself from loose Martian soil. As such, its energy reserves were depleted due to lessening amounts of sunlight hitting its solar panels, which use radiation (light) from the Sun generate electricity to operate.

As such, it placed itself into hibernation mode. However, NASA mission managers except the little rover will eventually awaken from its hibernation.

The NASA article states, 'Unfortunately, mobility problems prevented rover operators from positioning Spirit with a favorable tilt toward the north, as during the first three
winters it experienced.'

Read more about the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers mission at http://www.nasa.gov/rovers.

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