Waiting for dust to settle as Mars storm threatens craft

Published on Friday 17 April 2009 22:08

SCIENTISTS are monitoring the build-up of a dust storm on Mars that could disrupt the operations of spacecraft and rovers.

The storm broke out last month in Hellas, the large impact basin that dominates the planet's southern hemisphere.

It has since spread northward and grown.

Previous dust storms have engulfed the whole planet for weeks at a time. A large dust storm could affect all five exploration craft now orbiting Mars or working on its surface.

They include Nasa's two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, two Nasa orbiters, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter.

Scientists are using a thermal imaging system on Mars Odyssey to watch the storm's progress.

Professor Philip Christensen, from the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University in Tempe said: "This storm is coming at a time in the Martian year when dust storms are common.

"But so far, it has not reached the severity of the big dust storm of 2001, or even the more modest one in 2007."

In 2007, dust blocked more than 99 per cent of the sunlight reaching both rovers.

Prof Christensen added: "In big dust storms, the rover teams are strongly affected as dust in the air reduces sunlight which provides power for driving and science operations. And when the dust finally settles out, it coats the solar panels, diminishing their capability."