Mars Dust Storms Provides 'Ideal' For Scientific Research

According to a report by Geek.com, NASA's Opportunity rover was forced to halt operations after "one of the thickest dust storms ever observed on Mars" swept in. Despite slowing ground operations, Jim Watzin, director of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program in Washington, said, "This is the ideal storm for Mars science." Currently, the agency has three orbiters circling the globe, each one equipped with special cameras and atmospheric instruments. Watzin said in a statement, “We have a historic number of spacecraft operating at the Red Planet. Each offers a unique look at how dust storms form and behave—knowledge that will be essential for future robotic and human missions.”