The storm surrounding the Red Planet, noticed for the first time on May 30 and halted the work of the rover, continues to shrink. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers (Pasadena, Calif.) Believe that the 15-year-old Opportunity rover will soon receive enough sunlight to automatically start recovery procedures (of course, if it is still able to do this). To prepare, the team developed a two-stage plan that guarantees the maximum likelihood of successful communication with the rover and putting it online.
The last contact with the rover was made on June 10, and the current state remains unknown. Engineers are trying to use the experience of scientists analyzing data from MARCI on board the MRO to assess the tau near the location of the device.
Approximately 11 months before the dust storm covered the rover, Opportunity managed to get 5 shots from the upper edge of the Valley of perseverance on the inner slope of the western edge of the Endeavor crater. Images are made on July 7, 2017 Created in 2018, the Martian dust storm is considered one of the most global in history, but everything indicates its completion. MARCI images did not show active dust storms in the Opportunity location for some time within 3000 km.
Martian storm in the review of the rover Curiosity
The skies are clearing and scientists hope that the rover will try to contact the house. However, they are ready for a long silence. If it fails to achieve a result within 45 days, the team will have to conclude that the failure occurred and the rover will not be able to recover. This is a signal of the end of the mission, but the team will continue to passively wiretap.
An extra few months of listening take into account the possibility that dust will be swept away. There is little chance that the accumulation of dust will be the main reason for the lack of contact. But team members do not lose hope.
Panoramic camera Opportunity extracted pictures for this view from a position outside the crater Endeavor from June 7-19, 2017. On the right you can see the wide ridge of the western edge of the crater Even if the signal arrives, there is no certainty that the rover will continue to work. The impact of the last storm on the Opportunity system remains a mystery. There may have been a reduction in energy production, a decrease in battery performance, or other unforeseen damages that could make it difficult to fully return the machine.
The situation in the Valley of perseverance plays an important role, so the team members rely on Opportunity for 14 years in dealing with unforeseen obstacles. The rover lost the possibility of front steering (left front) in June 2017, and the right in 2005. Do not forget that Opportunity and Spirit initially planned to use only 90 days, but both devices (Spirit - 20 times, and Opportunity - 60 times) exceeded the terms of work. The Rovers counted on 1000 yards, and Opportunity traveled 28 miles. Therefore, there is hope that this time the apparatus will survive the crisis.
