What is to prevent Pathfinders or Sojourners solar cells from being obscured by the infamous Martian dust, rendering them inoperative?
Nothing prevents the Pathfinder lander or ‘Sojourner’ rover solar cells from being obscured by Martian dust. However, it is currently unknown the degree to which such dust collects, obscures or otherwise impacts solar array production. The rover carries an experiment which measures the dust collected in the vicinity of the solar panel and determines the degree to which such dust reduces solar panel production. Measurements taken from this experiment during the course of the mission will help characterize the impact of dust on solar panels and assist us in designing future Mars missions. Back to the top of the page.
