What will become of the lost Mars Rover "opportunity" through millions of years?
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The death of the brave fell a very hard-working "opportunity", who worked on the red planet instead of the planned 90 days as much as 15 years. Its solar panels are likely covered with a thick layer of dust, eventually depriving the Rover energy. Each spacecraft has its own resource, which, as you might guess, can be quite limited. Space is not spared. For example, we are informed about what is sent into space sports car Elon musk was seriously battered by radiation. However, it should be understood that in the construction of the same electric vehicle uses organic fibers and plastics. The Rovers are going from a much more wear-resistant materials. On this basis, the question arises: what will happen to the Mars Rover "opportunity" through hundreds, thousands and millions of years?
Says Professor of planetary science at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a member of the scientific team of the Rover "opportunity" Jeff Mersch, honestly recognizing that is not an expert in the designs of the Mars Rover, "opportunity" is also used a number of plastic elements, for example, in wire insulation. And it may ultimately decompose under the action of solar radiation.
"overall, I think the Rover will remain in the condition in which it is now," — he says.
If one day people will be able to find him, then, by this time, he might be a little covered with dust, adds Mersch. "One day" in this context means that the Rover "see" any people who set foot on the red planet over the next several hundred years, as planned, NASA says planetary scientist.
According to the scientist, through a later date, the Rover covered over with a thick layer of dust. "Opportunity" could work on Mars for so long in the first place because quite often the Martian wind constantly blew the dust from its solar. But if we are talking about a longer period, the fate of the Rover is not entirely clear. In the end, win or dust, which, obviously, will accumulate, or the wind that can blow.
"At the same time, I doubt the Rover will be completely covered with dust" — adds Mersch.
What will happen with the remnants of the Rover in a few million years? On the Ground, all dead sooner or later, is buried. But this is due to tectonic processes and movement of water – factors that do not exist on modern Mars. However, the Rover met the same fate, says Mersch.
"If for a long time near the remains of the Rover will fall meteorites, rising from the surface dust in the end, it will fully hide under a", — adds the scientist.
If the dust will accumulate, the Rover will turn into "fossils", like the bones of dinosaurs on the Earth, and landed here millions of years aliens can seriously be surprised to find an ancient artifact of human history.
At the press conference dedicated to the completion of the mission "opportunity", the speakers explained that NASA has no plans ever to return the Rover back to Earth. Send especially for this expedition would be in this case very wasteful, especially considering the fact that his job, he still did.
Because people want to one day settle on Mars, adds Mersch, it is likely that the Rover ever will still be found and restored. Maybe someday he will take his place in the Martian Museum, and, perhaps, around the place where he stayed, erect a monument or even a national Park.
If the people on Mars did not fly, "opportunity" will remain in place forever. Although the latter option is unlikely. Over millions of years the remains of the Rover can be destroyed by a falling meteorite.
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