If you ’re on the Red Planet right now , a word of word of advice . You ’re about to hear nothing for us for more than a week . Apologies .
That ’s going to come because Mars is movingalmost behind the Sunrelative to Earth , as both planet go on their dance around the Solar System . From July 22 to August 1 , communications will be hampered by the pesky Sun .
So NASA has decide not to send any bid to any of its rovers or space vehicle at Mars during that time , to do away with the risk of signal received being distort by the Sun . NASA ’s fleet consists of the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers on the ground , and the Mars Odyssey , Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , and MAVEN space vehicle in orbit .
" Out of carefulness , we wo n’t blab to our Mars assets during that period because we ask significant degradation in the communication tie-in , and we do n’t desire to take a prospect that one of our space vehicle would playact on a corrupted command , " enunciate Chad Edwards , director of the Mars Relay web Office at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California , in astatement .
Mars wo n’t actually go now behind the Sun . But it will go close enough that ionized gas from the Sun ’s corona ( its stunned atmosphere ) could make issues . This natural event is hump as Mars solar concurrence .
Do n’t worry too much though , because the various teams that work on each military mission have been planning for this . This moratorium happens roughly every 26 months , owe to the particulars of how our two planets orbit the Sun , so scientist are prepared .
Most of the mission have experienced this many prison term before . For Mars Odyssey , it ’s the eighth connective , Opportunity the seventh , MRO the sixth , Curiosity the third , and MAVEN the second .
( Note , we do n’t know if other countries with missions around Mars – India and Europe – are buy the farm to be doing the same matter as NASA , but we have asked each agency and will update when we hear back . )
The teams have already sent control to the various mission so they can keep operating , even without unconstipated contact with Earth . NASA also will still receive data back from its Mars mission during this time . Anything that ’s corrupted will then be re - beam back subsequently , when the planets have an stymie view of each other again .
" The fomite will stay active , carrying out commands sent in advance , " said Mars Program Chief Engineer Hoppy Price , of JPL . " Orbiters will be make their skill observations and transmitting data point . The rovers wo n’t be driving , but observations and measurement will go on . "
