Mars Rovers Return to Exploration

inkslinger77 writes "The two Mars rovers that have been carefully conserving critical power supplies since June, when the summer dust-storm season began on the red planet, are now springing back to work as the storms subside. Typically, the solar panels on each rover produce about 700 watt-hours of electricity per day — enough to light a 100-watt bulb for seven hours, according to NASA. But this year's dust storms reduced that to as little as 128 watt hours per day. When daily power generation is down to less than 400 watt-hours, the rovers suspend their driving on the planet and stop using their robotic arms, cameras and other instruments. But they are back in action now!"

Sadly

[daeg]

Sadly, with their relatively low speed, they will probably never find Sarah Connor in time for Fox's upcoming "The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

Batteries

[Esion Modnar]

Hope they're not Li-ion.

I don't think you need NASA to say that

[caluml]

each rover produce about 700 watt-hours of electricity per day -- enough to light a 100-watt bulb for seven hours, according to NASA.

I don't think you need NASA to say that - I think I can confirm that 700 watt-hours will power a 100-watt bulb (or device) for 7 hours. furthermore, improving on NASA, I can also say that it will power 7 100-watt bulbs for 1 hour, or 1 700-watt bulb for an hour.

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[a1210]

Seems like a new /. saying should arise from this..
like "Only old people in Korea use e-mail... according to NASA"

Re: I don't think you need NASA to say that

[D4C5CE]

Shush, next thing you're gonna tell journalists one doesn't even need to be a rocket scientist to figure out maths? ;-)

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[MyLongNickName]

Sorry, but your UID has to be below 850,000 before you can create a new meme. Sorry.

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[Scutter]

Sorry, but your UID has to be below 850,000 before you can create a new meme. Sorry.

I think you meant under 20,000.

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[Ed Avis]

But on Slashdot, uids under 20000 are only for old people!

Re:Batteries

[Dunbal]

Hope they're not Li-ion.

      Actually, the little rovers could use the extra heat...

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[empaler]

But on Slashdot, uids under 20000 are only for old people!

... according to NASA.

Not descriptive enough

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Why are you describing to slashdotters, 700 watt-hours will light up a 100watt bulb for 7 hours? Is it that easily imaginable? Should use very precise engineering descriptions like, four football fields long or as big as a refrigerator or something. The most descriptive way to describe 700 watt-hours would be something like the energy spent by a senator tapping the restroom stall floor with foot over his entire three term career or the energy used by a /. mod marking 8324 posts as trolls, flamebaits and underrated.

Re:Can we please not dumb this site down?

[Nimey]

Sigh. It's practically obligatory when you're talking about science (at least in the States, how about other countries?) to dumb it down. At least they didn't say how many ping-pong balls the rovers could carry if they were hollow.

And at least we aren't to the point of saying how many angels can dance on a rover's solar panel, or somesuch. Yet.

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[Ami Ganguli]

Don't let it get you down, young'n. ... Ami.

Re:What this really says...

[BosstonesOwn]

When we put our minds to it , it gets built in china.

Re:Can we please not dumb this site down?

[metlin]

At least they didn't say how many ping-pong balls the rovers could carry if they were hollow.

So, how many Libraries of Congress would that be again?

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[Joseph Vigneau]

I have nothing witty to say here.

Re:Next?

[Anonymous Coward]

"If your car was as well-designed and resilient as these rovers it would run on empty for 100 miles, drive up mountains, and review your tax returns."

I'm David Hasselhoff, bitch! My car does all of that - and more!

They are doing pretty well though

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[tgd]

No, under 2000.

Wait, under 3000.

Re:Not descriptive enough

[Lumpy]

Exactly a Slashdotter will understand it better this way...

700 watt hours. That's enough to run your Gaming PC for 6.5 minutes, or light 42,338 super bright white LED's at 125% brightness for 1 second in a blindingly bright flash that will make everyone for miles say "WOW! THAT WAS BRIGHT!"

From the article

[Anonymous Coward]

> Past storms on Mars affected the rovers, but those were only short-term events, Matijevic said. This year's storms were especially strong.

        Must be the global warming.

More information

[biraneto]

Slashdot is able to reproduce an article twice per week, that's close to a dupe in about 3 days, according to Nasa. http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/0 3/0154202 [slashdot.org]

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[yet another coward]

Nor do I.

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[lars]

Back in *my* day you actually had to work for your +5 funny posts, not just show up with a low user ID!

Re:I don't think you need NASA to say that

[Zephyr14z]

It would appear that today is still your day.