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Mystery Martian 'car wash' helps NASA rover
MSNBC/Reuters ^

Posted on 12/21/2004 11:49:34 AM PST by krakath

LONDON - An unexplained phenomenon akin to a space-borne car wash has boosted the performance of one of the two U.S. rovers probing the surface of Mars, New Scientist magazine said on Tuesday.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: nasa; opportunity; rovers; spirit
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1 posted on 12/21/2004 11:49:35 AM PST by krakath
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To: krakath

Already posted! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!


2 posted on 12/21/2004 11:50:19 AM PST by JusPasenThru (If you want to get it movin' you must learn to doof da bouven.)
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To: krakath

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1306014/posts


"Martian" would have found it.


3 posted on 12/21/2004 11:51:04 AM PST by Howlin (Search, use it.)
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To: Howlin

Marvin the Martian would have found it and washed it.


4 posted on 12/21/2004 12:01:19 PM PST by HHFi
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To: Howlin; JusPasenThru
Dangit! I performed a bunch of searches too! My folly was that I used "rover" instead of "buggy"!
5 posted on 12/21/2004 12:03:30 PM PST by krakath
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To: krakath

Reckon it mighta rained? That's the only time my truck gets washed.......


6 posted on 12/21/2004 12:13:29 PM PST by G-Bear (My liver is EVIL, and I must PUNISH it!)
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To: krakath

Solar array performance is measured in Watts, not watt-hours.


7 posted on 12/21/2004 12:13:45 PM PST by bruin66 (Time: Nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once.)
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To: Howlin
" said something -- or someone -- had regularly cleaned layers of dust from the solar panels of the Mars Opportunity vehicle while it was closed down during the Martian night"

Seems to be nonsense anyway.

8 posted on 12/21/2004 12:16:04 PM PST by BenLurkin (Big government is still a big problem.)
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To: Howlin

You know, Howlin', I think this whole report is bogus! CBS cooked this up for sure! I can prove there are no car washes on Mars: there are no quarters! How can they operate a car wash if they ain't got quarters to put into the slots to get the miracle-foaming brush to work?

Will this get me national acclaim like it did for Buckwheat or whatever his name is?


9 posted on 12/21/2004 12:18:22 PM PST by JusPasenThru (If you want to get it movin' you must learn to doof da bouven.)
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To: G-Bear

You too huh..LOL


10 posted on 12/21/2004 12:19:45 PM PST by MD_Willington_1976
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To: JusPasenThru

I think so. I'll call 'my people.' :-)


11 posted on 12/21/2004 12:25:54 PM PST by Howlin (Search, use it.)
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To: bruin66

Solar array performance is also apparently measured in "watt-hours-per-day", a term that gives a better understanding of the total energy available from sun-up to sun-down since the rate in watts will vary throughout the day.


12 posted on 12/21/2004 12:27:17 PM PST by Redbob
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To: krakath

Shiela Jackson Lee (D-Tx) thinks it probably brushed up against that flag the astronauts left up there.


13 posted on 12/21/2004 12:28:44 PM PST by tx_eggman ("All I need to know about Islam I learned on 09/11/01" - Crawdad)
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To: krakath

Couldn't be something so common as the wind, could it?


14 posted on 12/21/2004 12:54:24 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (God is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Yeah, Mars has lots of little dust devils...they could have blown the dust away.
Wonder why NASA just didn't add a little mechanical brush above the cell panel and use it every so often. Weight vs. cell efficiency...I'd bet they could've come up with some kind of lightweight system. Oh, well. Maybe next time.


15 posted on 12/21/2004 1:11:01 PM PST by Imnidiot (THIS SPACE FOR RENT)
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To: bruin66

Why do they measure it in Watts? I live in Long Beach, not far from Watts. Why couldn't we measure it here, too?


16 posted on 12/21/2004 1:13:18 PM PST by Imnidiot (THIS SPACE FOR RENT)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Imnidiot
Yeah, Mars has lots of little dust devils...

Funny you should mention that. On Futurama last night, the Mars Natives (aka, Indians) were calling up dust devils....

18 posted on 12/21/2004 1:29:57 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Blood of Tyrants

I am thinking the wind plus lack of static electricity, it just blows right off.

If you look at any of the moon landings with the moon rover, it is always unusual to see how the moon dust cascades off the tires without billowing clouds.


19 posted on 12/21/2004 1:34:19 PM PST by Mr. K (I support a strong defense policy, but see no reason to conduct it while sober.)
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To: Mr. K

Maybe it rains at night when the rover is shut down? 8^>


20 posted on 12/21/2004 1:37:35 PM PST by Woodman ("One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives." PW)
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