From: dr.o@xxxxx.wanadoo.nl.retro.com   
      
   "Arie Kazachin"  wrote   
   in message news:btkmbj$e72$1@news.att.net.il...   
   > Hello!   
   >   
   > Reading various bits of info about Mars rovers on various sites   
   > I haven't noticed (or missed?) any info about their life expectancy   
   > on the Mars surface.   
   >   
   > I'l curious to know what limits their life? Do they consume anything   
   > like batteries charge-discharge cycles?   
   >   
   > Is their ability to recharge batteries limited by the Mratian seasons?   
   > In how long time the dust will cover the solar panels to such extent   
   > that batteries could no longer be charged? Can these panels be rotated   
   > briefly to vertical to allow the dust to fall off?   
   >   
      
   Solar panels 'wear' out so the power generation drops. And the batteries   
   themselves also have a limited number of charge-cycles which they can handle   
   (same with recharcheable batteries in cell-phones etc.). The lifetime of the   
   electronics and moving parts is far longer, and not the limiting factor.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)