Have you ever wondered what happens to solar cells on Mars? We do at #NASA! Recently we developed a method to reproduce & quantify the damage done to solar cells during Mars severe weather #BIEWork #scicomm

pics:Opportunity rover rendering, rover selfies b4 & after wind clearing

Mars has dust storms (like bad wind on a beach) that kick up LOTS of dust that settles onto the solar cells preventing them from absorbing the maximum light. Less light = less electricity & eventually we won't have enough power for the mission, like w/Opportunity. #BIEWork

Using a sandblaster & Martian simulated dust we replicated the worst severe weather conditions that our cells might experience. We learned that 1 direct dust storm= 1yr of regular degradation. Even if cells don't look damaged their electrical function is likely impacted #BIEWork

We compared the lab method w/15yrs of field data collected by the Opportunity Rover. We were thrilled to see exceptional agreement b/t our lab data & field data. We now have a reliable way to simulate Mars conditions & predict solar cell performance through Mars storms. #BIEWork