﻿ Curiosity shut down as solar blast races to Mars - Taipei Times
Fri, Mar 08, 2013 - Page 7　News List

Curiosity shut down as solar blast races to Mars

INCOMING:Mars lacks a planet-wide magnetic field, so it does not experience geomagnetic storms like those on Earth, but it does see a spike in radiation


The Curiosity rover hunkered down on Wednesday after the sun unleashed a blast that raced toward Mars.

While the hardy rover was designed to withstand punishing space weather, its handlers decided to power it down as a precaution after it suffered a recent computer problem.

“We’re being more careful,” said project manager Richard Cook of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which runs the US$2.5 billion mission.



The eruption did not appear severe or extreme, but “middle of the road, all things considered,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration space weather chief Bob Rutledge said.

The solar tempest was not expected to have an impact on Earth. In the past, such outbursts have triggered solar storms with the ability to disrupt utility grids, airline flights, satellite networks and global positioning system services. They are also known to produce shimmering auroras in places farther from the poles.






“It’s just bad timing,” Cook said.

This story has been viewed 1153 times.
TOP top