# Perseverance rover on Mars (was: Mars lander set for Feb 18th landing) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068 "2021-02-02T17:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/261 "2022-12-22T04:18:50Z")
Why no cleaning system for the solar cells? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/262 "2022-12-22T07:12:01Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Why no cleaning system for the solar cells?. Because they’re not designed to last long enough to need one. Furthermore, adding a cleaning system would mean leaving off one, or possibly more, of the scientific instruments. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/263 "2022-12-22T21:15:39Z")
If the dust gets blown off, does it wake up ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/264 "2022-12-22T23:33:58Z")
Sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/265 "2023-02-07T13:44:36Z")
Ingenuity completes 40th flight: > **[Mars helicopter Ingenuity aces 40th Red Planet flight](https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-40th-flight)** > > The sortie on Thursday (Jan. 19) covered about 584 feet (178 meters). Percy finishes a sample depot (10 tubes) > **[NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot – NASA Mars Exploration](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9337/nasas-perseverance-rover-completes-mars-sample-depot/)** > > Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/266 "2023-07-19T04:26:10Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Because they’re not designed to last long enough to need one. Furthermore, adding a cleaning system would mean leaving off one, or possibly more, of the scientific instruments. Do you have a cite for this? they could use a rotating screen in a fashion similar to race car cameras. Not a lot of mass involved. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/267 "2023-07-19T05:16:23Z")
I don’t have a cite. But the nominal lifespan of most space probes is usually pretty short. For example, the Spirit and Opportunity rovers had a nominal lifespan of 90 sols (Martian days). If they last that long, the mission is considered a success. Of course, everyone knows they’ll virtually always last longer, usually many times longer. But if there’s something they could add which will only be used in an extended mission, they generally won’t add it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/268 "2023-07-20T03:37:57Z")
NASA has a pretty good track record as these things go. maybe they’ll add a cleaner for the solar cells down the line. When you consider what it takes to get a piece of equipment to Mars it’s certainly worth the effort to get the most out of it. Basically it’ s a fully functioning rover except for dirt. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2023, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/269 "2023-07-20T04:03:12Z")
I’m not sure this would work, but maybe if they hovered the helicopter over the rover for a while, it would blow the dust off. After all, whirlwinds have removed some of the dust from rovers at times. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2023, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/270 "2023-07-20T04:18:52Z")
That might actually work. There are coatings that resist dirt so it would just roll off. A seriously good idea. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/271 "2023-07-20T12:30:36Z")
The problem is static charge. The dust sticks electrostatically to the surfaces. It’s also much finer than the stuff that passes for dust on Earth. Plus the thin atmosphere & low gravity. Which collectively mean the relative effectiveness of wind, gravity, and electrostatic forces are very different than our Earth-based intuition. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/272 "2024-01-20T19:05:06Z")
> **[NASA loses contact with Ingenuity Mars helicopter](https://www.space.com/nasa-loses-contact-ingenuity-mars-helicopter)** > > The dropout occurred on Thursday (Jan. 18), during Ingenuity's 72nd Red Planet flight. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/273 "2024-01-20T22:38:06Z")
I guess one of the auks finally got it. Darn shame. Still, to get 71 completed flights from the thing is a miracle. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/274 "2024-01-20T23:24:57Z")
I just saw the above old discussion about having some kind of a dust wiper system on rovers. This question was addressed in the February 2024 issue of _Astronomy_ magazine by Jim Bell, Principal Investigator for Mars 2020 Mastcam. He basically says it’s not done because it would involve trading off some more important instrument for no reason, since the rovers already last well past their design lifetime without a wiper: > … [I]f a team wants to add a dust wiper blade to a rover solar panel, the engineers will say, “Sure we can do that! But what do you want to trade to accommodate the mass, volume, power needs, and cost of that wiper system?” Hmm… would the team be OK, for example, trading a backup radio transmitter for that wiper system? Or dropping one of the science instruments for it? In my experience, we’ve decided not to make such trades because we felt confident that the rovers could survive the required minimum lifetime even with dusty solar panels. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/275 "2024-01-21T05:28:10Z")
Yay! > > > NASA JPL @NASAJPL It’s still possible that it won’t fly again. The comms cutout could have been due to a hard landing, or something else entirely. But hey, it’s not actually dead yet. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/276 "2024-01-25T23:10:15Z")
> While the helicopter remains upright and in communication with ground controllers, imagery of its Jan. 18 flight sent to Earth this week indicates one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during landing, and it is no longer capable of flight. > **[After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends - NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends/)** > > NASA’s history-making Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has ended its mission at the Red Planet after surpassing expectations and making dozens more flights than ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/277 "2024-01-25T23:15:03Z")
I do think that the fact that NASA missions tend to last so much longer than their “official design lifetime”\* is a sign of poor engineering of some sort or another. If they really can last that long, then they should be designing the mission to use all that longevity. \*When they don’t fail immediately, of course. But failures at the start of missions don’t, in general, demonstrate anything other than the fact that space is very hard. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/278 "2024-01-26T03:40:57Z")
The missions _are_ using all that longevity; they keep doing science until they just can’t anymore. The devices are designed with a big safety margin to make sure they last long enough to complete all the designated primary mission goals, but those designated goals are selected from the team’s wishlist of stuff they want to try. Just because the stuff they do after the primary goals are met didn’t originally make the cut doesn’t mean they don’t have contingency plans for doing it (plus other tests suggested by the data they get back and the circumstances of the probe). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068.md?page=13)