Uthuli lwathulisa iMars rover Opportunity

NgoJuni, i-NASA yabika ukuthi isivunguvungu sothuli sivakashele i-Red Planet, savimbela i-Opportunity rover ukuthi iqhubeke nokwenza irobhothi lilale. Lokhu kwenzeka ngokuzenzakalelayo, ngoba ukusebenza kwedivayisi kuncike ebukhoneni bokukhanya kwelanga.

Ngesikhathi sokuloba lolu lwazi, bekungakacaci ukuthi uhlonishwe nini. URay Arvidson, isekela lenkosi, eshicileleni likaJulayi 2018 ukuthi isiphepho "singokwemvelo yomhlaba wonke futhi siyaqhubeka nokufutheka." Kodwa-ke, u-Arvidson ukholelwa ukuthi imoto evikelekile ezenzakalweni ezinjalo inethuba lokusinda esiphepho ngisho noma ihlala izinyanga ezimbalwa, okuyinto engavamile ku-Mars.

I-Opportunity, noma i-Mars Exploration Rover-B (MER-B), isineminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu isebenza endaweni ye-Red Planet, nakuba kwakuhlelwe umkhankaso wezinsuku ezingu-90 kuphela. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, umsebenzi we-Dual Spirit, owaziwa ngokusemthethweni ngokuthi i-Mars Exploration Rover-A, noma i-MER-A ngamafuphi, wawufezwa. Nokho, i-Spirit rover yathumela izimpawu zayo zokugcina eMhlabeni ngo-March 2010.