From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Mon Dec 15 2003 - 16:14:09 PST
Shades of 1971!
This article is also available on the web at:
http://www.spacetoday.net/getsummary.php?id=2074 .
Dust storm could provide challenge to Mars landers
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Posted: Mon, Dec 15 1:29 PM ET (1829 GMT)
A new dust storm covering a large part of Mars may make the
upcoming landing of three missions more hazardous, planetary
scientists report. The new dust storm was first seen late
last week and now covers much of the northern hemisphere of
the planet, the Rocky Mountain News reported Monday. The
storm, if it persists and expands to become a global dust
storm, could hamper the landings of one British and two
American spacecraft. Britain's Beagle 2 is scheduled to land
early December 25, while NASA;s twin rovers Spirit and
Opportunity will land on January 3 and 24, respectively.
Even if the storm does not affect the landings, the dust
kicked up by the storms could coat the solar panels on the
landers, reducing their ability to generate power. Such dust
storms usually "appear and die out in a few days to a week,
or they expand into global storms," University of Colorado
planetary scientist Bruce Jakosky told the newspaper. "We
don't know what's going to happen with this one."
Related Links:
--------------
Denver Rocky Mountain News article:
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2505667,00html
AP article:
http://www.trib.com/AP/wire_detail.php?wire_num=14210
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