On august 6 2012 the most recent rover landed on mars.
Curiosity rover solar panels.
Curiosity carries a radioisotope power system that generates electricity from the heat of plutonium s radioactive decay.
Of course the insight lander currently operating on the red planet bears solar panels.
Mars exploration rovers spirit and opportunity exploring the planet mars facts information videos and pictures.
The electrical output from the mmrtg charges two rechargeable lithium ion batteries.
The rovers by name curiosity.
The power source generates 9 mj 2 5 kwh of electrical energy each day much more than the solar panels of the now retired mars exploration rovers which generated about 2 1 mj 0 58 kwh each day.
Named curiosity it was the largest rover to be placed on the surface of mars.
But these plutonium units are a respected power source for spacecraft nasa s curiosity rover.
The 2 main drawbacks of solar panels is that they don t work during the night and they don t work during the martian winter.
Photo courtesy of nasa.
They believe the dust covered the rover s solar power.
The rover requires power to operate.
Without power it cannot move use its science instruments or communicate with earth.
Opportunity set a new record for travel on an extraterrestrial location by driving a total of 2806 mi 45 16 km.