Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
The Materials Adherence Experiment on the Mars Pathfinder mission measured an obscuration of the solar arrays due to dust deposition at a rate of about 0.2 8% per day. It was estimated that settling dust may cause degradation in performance of a solar panel of between 22% and 89% over the course of two years [1, 2]. These results were obtained without the presence of a global dust storm. Several types of adherence forces keep dust particles attached to surfaces. The most widely discussed adherence force is the electrostatic force. Laboratory experiments [3] as well as indirect evidence from the Wheel Abrasion Experiment on Pathfinder [4] indicate that it is very likely that the particles suspended in the Martian atmosphere are electrostatically charged.
Keywords:
Space Sciences (General)
Type:
KSC-2004-031
,
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; Mar 14, 2004 - Mar 19, 2004; Houston, TX; United States
Format:
application/pdf
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