Spirit receives same treatment as Opportunity

[no1tovote4]

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/spce/41371.html

Spirit rover apparently has received a spring cleaning courtesy of a Martian dust devil, mission controllers said today.

Space.com reported that the whirlwind probably swept past the robot's position high in a rock outcropping called the Columbia Hills, in honor of the space shuttle astronauts.

The event cleaned off the dust that had accumulated on Spirit's solar panels, allowing them to absorb more solar energy and produce more electric power -- more than 90 percent of peak levels when the rover landed on Mars more than 14 months ago.

These rovers are lasting longer than expected because of the impromptu cleaning of the solar panels. They "assume" it was a dust devil, maybe we are getting some help...

 

[sagegirl]

HOORAY

 

[Zhukov]

When I first read about these probes, around the time they were launched, I couldn't figure out why they didn't just install a wiper on the thing....

 

[freeandfun1]

I read about this a while back. It said that the panels are VERY clean. Almost as if somebody used water and a squeegie to clean em off. And both rovers at that.... not just one of em.

 

[no1tovote4]

I read about this a while back. It said that the panels are VERY clean. Almost as if somebody used water and a squeegie to clean em off. And both rovers at that.... not just one of em.

At first it was just one of them, now both of them. They try to explain it away with dust devils but have no explanation that actually makes sense how that would work to this level of cleanliness. Sometimes scientists should just learn to say, "I don't know..." rather than trying to make an explanation fit that doesn't work.

 

[Merlin1047]

These rovers are lasting longer tha...tunately, they'll have a long wait for a tip.

 

[no1tovote4]

LOL - maybe they have little green men who jump out and clean your windshields just like those windshield washers in the major cities here. Except in this case, they're cleaning the solar panels. Unfortunately, they'll have a long wait for a tip.

If that's the case they likely won't do it again, you know those homeless guys who keep trying to get you to pay for spreading mud on the windshield will eventually learn that you aren't going to "tip" them for it.

It bodes well for us if it is so, it shows a proclivity for Commercial Endeavors. Next time they will likely leave a magnet somewhere so we can call for help when we need it....