NASA spots dust-covered Mars rover that has yet to send signal

NASA’s Mars rover has still not sent any signal to Earth after the dust storm subsided, but it still can now be seen from up above.

After the massive dust storm cleared out, NASA’s Opportunity rover on Mars didn’t wake up. However, it has recently been spotted by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) from up above, totally covered by dust.

With the help of its HiRise camera, the MRO found the rover that is currently in an area called Perseverance Valley. In the picture captured on September 20 about 267km above Mars’ surface, the rover looks like a tiny, pale spot, reported Daily Mail.

NASA’s Mars rover captures stunning picture under dusty Martian skies

NASA stated, “A key unknown is how much dust has fallen on the solar arrays. The HiRise image shows some reddening of the surrounding area, suggesting dust fallout, but it is not possible to determine how much dust is on the arrays themselves.”

The solar-powered rover went through a massive dust storm on Mars that made the rover go into deep sleep. However, even after the months-long storm subsided, the rover didn’t wake up, worrying scientists on Earth.

In an effort to inspire the rover up to wake up, NASA also created a list of 18 themed songs with a new song to kick off each Martian day from the control room. NASA has now decided to listen for the rover’s signal at least into early 2019 after finally giving up, as per CNET.