Quote from: Herb Schaltegger on 08/07/2012 03:52 pmNASA has lots of experience with dust and Martian landers. It's not anything that hasn't been considered in the design process.As marsman2020 explained in depth in another thread, it was considered, but the real extent of the issue wasn't realized (it was underestimated) until Phoenix landed, well into MSL development.
NASA has lots of experience with dust and Martian landers. It's not anything that hasn't been considered in the design process.
I guess any Ballast impacts would be too small to see in those pictures ??
The rover was always intended to operate in a potentially dusty environment - look at the MER rovers, they are caked.
One of the reporters mentioned something about a test that didn't go well? What's that all about?
Are there prevailing wind directions that were accounted for in choosing where to crash the descent stage.
Damn! Look at how dark the rover is. It must be absolutely covered in dust.