A major dust storm on Mars could hamper operations of NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity if it balloons, as dust storms have done in the past, SPACE.com has learned.It is not known how large the storm might grow, but already it is thousands of miles across. It is blocking sunlight and prompting Mars mission managers to keep a close eye on it.
For now, officials don't think the storm will threaten rover operations, however. In fact, the windy conditions on the planet have blown off large amounts of dust from the rovers' solar arrays, giving them more power. The power boost may lend a helping hand to the Opportunity rover, should officials decide to send it into Victoria Crater.
"We've been watching this storm for about six days now," said Steven Squyres of Cornell University, who is the lead scientist of the Mars Exploration Rover Project. "It's not unheard of for Martian dust storms to cover half the planet, and this one is now a regional storm."
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