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I am sure it comes down to economics really, but I do wonder now about a mission in far future, that would clean solar panels of all those older missions to make them work again. For shits and giggles I guess.


Like a long range Ingenuity helicopter that cruised the planet using its downwash to revive old rovers ?


This idea gets brought up in every thread about Insight's dust issues - there is not enough air pressure on Mars for the downwash to clean the panels. For Ingenuity specifically the problem is that it is also far too far away - it would take over ten years for the chopper to reach Insight.


After a few months I can't even blow all the dust off surfaces in my apartment. I can only imagine years outside on Mars.


Don't underestimate the size of a planet


IIRC this was a plot point in The Martian


Oh, yes indeed. I forgot about that.


It might be fun to try, but realistically, without heat, thermo issues will ensure that even if you did this the rovers wouldn't work anymore.




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