NASA experiences communicatoon disruption with robot scientists on Mars due to Celestial phenomenon

WEB DESK: NASA has encountered a temporary communication blackout with its Mars fleet, a result of the recurring Mars solar conjunction, a celestial phenomenon that occurs every two years.

During this event, the Sun positions itself between Earth and Mars, rendering the two planets temporarily invisible to each other.

Described as a period when the planets are “like dancers on either side of a huge bonfire,” NASA’s robotic explorers on Mars experience a halt in the ability to receive commands.

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Despite the interruption, the space agency assures that its rovers and orbital craft conducting scientific missions on Mars will continue operations, albeit with limited data collection for the duration of the event, spanning from November 11 to the 25.

To navigate the communication breakdown, NASA’s engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory temporarily disable some instruments on the Mars fleet. No new instructions are dispatched during this time to avoid potential data loss caused by interference from the Sun’s charged particles.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the solar conjunction, NASA preloads two weeks’ worth of commands to sustain limited operations. Currently, the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers are actively monitoring surface conditions and collecting data on weather, radiation levels, and other aspects.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter observes sand motion, while the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Odyssey orbiter, and MAVEN spacecraft continue their respective tasks.

Despite the temporary communication interruption, NASA maintains partial contact with its Mars fleet, with regular health status updates expected over the next few weeks.

Roy Gladden, manager of the Mars Relay Network at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reassures that full communication is anticipated to be restored after November 25. At that point, accumulated science data will be transmitted back to Earth, accompanied by new instructions for the Mars fleet.

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