I-Opportunity rover ihlola i-Red Planet ukususela ngo-2004 kwaye akukho mfuneko yokuba ingakwazi ukuqhubeka nemisebenzi yayo. Nangona kunjalo, ngo-2018, isivunguvungu sesanti saqhuma phezu komhlaba, esakhokelela ekufeni kwesixhobo somatshini. Uthuli ekusenokwenzeka ukuba lwazigubungela ngokupheleleyo iiphaneli zesola ze-Opportunity, nto leyo ebangela ukuphelelwa ngamandla. Ngandlela-thile, ngoFebruwari ka-2019, iarhente yaseMelika iNASA yabhengeza ukuba i-rover ifile. Ngoku izazinzulu zithi amanzi ayenokususwa kuMars ngendlela efanayo. Esi sigqibo sifikelelwe ngabaphandi beNASA abaqhelana nedatha efunyenwe kwiTrace Gas Orbiter (TGO).
Abaphandi bakholelwa ukuba kwixesha elidlulileyo, i-Mars yayinomoya oxineneyo kwaye malunga ne-20% yomphezulu weplanethi wawugqunywe ngamanzi angamanzi. Malunga neebhiliyoni ezi-4 kwiminyaka eyadlulayo, iPlanethi eBomvu yaphulukana nemagnethi yayo, emva koko ukukhuselwa kwayo kwimimoya etshabalalisayo yelanga kwaba buthathaka, okukhokelela ekulahlekeni kobuninzi bomoya wayo.
Ezi nkqubo zenze amanzi aphezu kwesi sijikelezi-langa abe sesichengeni. Idatha efunyenwe kuqwalaselo lwe-TGO icebisa ukuba izaqhwithi zothuli zinetyala lokunyamalala kwamanzi kwiPlanethi eBomvu. Ngamaxesha aqhelekileyo, amasuntswana amanzi kwi-atmosfera angaphakathi kweekhilomitha ezingama-20 kumphezulu weplanethi, ngelixa ngexesha lesaqhwithi sothuli esabulala i-Opportunity, i-TGO yafumanisa iimolekyuli zamanzi kwi-altitude ye-80 km. Kule ndawo, iimolekyuli zamanzi zihlukaniswe zibe yi-hydrogen kunye ne-oksijini, zizaliswe ngamasuntswana elanga. Ekubeni akumaleko aphezulu omoya, amanzi aba khaphukhaphu kakhulu, nto leyo enokuba negalelo ekususweni kwawo kumphezulu weMars.
umthombo: 3dnews.ru