Shades of the Shoemaker and the Elves:
Rover team leader Jim Erickson at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, told New Scientist that a process still not understood has repeatedly removed dust from the solar panels. “These exciting and unexplained cleaning events have kept Opportunity in really great shape,” he says.
Whatever the process, it has taken place while Opportunity was parked during the Martian night. On at least four occasions over a six-month period, the rover’s power output increased by up to 5% overnight. […]
Now an inspection of the rover’s surface using its own camera has confirmed that dust has been removed from the vehicle.
Those friendly Martians didn’t even charge us. I hope we left them a good tip. (via daleynews)
Posted by James at January 5, 2005 7:59 AMErrrr.... could it possibly be sandstorms?
Posted by: Julie at January 5, 2005 10:04 AM