20 August 2004

A Mars rover update

Weren't those two Mars rovers supposed to last only around 90 days each? Wasn't Martian dust supposed to block their solar panels and obscure their cameras?

Not a chance! Both Spirit and Opportunity are still prowling across the sands, rocks and strange spherical pebbles of Mars. They have photographed clouds, dust, layered rocks, sand dunes, hills, boulders, craters and even eclipses of Martian moons.

The rovers have drilled into rocks and sent back microscopic images of what they have found. They have spun their wheels through thick layers of martian soil to better understand its composition and properties. They have peered into craters. And they have sent back persuasive evidence of the former presence of liquid water on Mars.

Dust was supposed to reduce the rover's power months ago. Yet 200 sols (martian days) into its mission, rover Opportunity's solar panels are producing more power than anytime since sol 100. The likely reason is less sunlight absorbing dust in the martian sky.

Beyond the science, the Mars rovers have inspired a generation of young engineers and scientists like nothing else. Robotics competitions among high school students have become a major extracurricular activity across the United States. The success of the two Mars rovers can only enhance student interest in robotics.

The engineers and scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and their contractors have secured for themselves a prominent place in the history of unmanned exploration of a planet other than our own. The fact both Mars rovers have performed so well is especially significant.

If you haven't been keeping up with the adventures of the two martian rovers, be sure to visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's rover site and see what's happening. Be sure to schedule at least an hour or so for your visit. The images are so spectacular that its difficult to leave the site.

Meanwhile, the successful launch of NASA's new Aura satellite has received considerably less attention. This new satellite will provide the first ever measurements of the vertical distribution of many important trace gases in our atmosphere. The findings from Aura could shed new light on poorly understood chemical processes in the sky that have important implications for every person on the planet.

Forrest M. Mims III