NASA scientists are little worried these days as Comet Siding Spring is closing in on Mars.
It is highly unlikely that the comet will directly collide with Mars, its coma is definitely going to create problem.
Several scientists and engineers are closely monitoring comet to see if its coma could affect satellites.
Siding Spring is likely to make its closest approach to Mars on October 19 and the problem will happen when Mars will pass through the coma of this comet for several hours.
The researchers are busy finding out whether the satellites over Mars are also at risk. It is important to assess the risk factor or else millions of dollars worth of satellites would end up being damaged.
Mars scientist Richard Zurke talked about the potential risk to satellites. "That's like a cannonball for our spacecraft." Zurek added that even a single piece from the coma of the comet can take out a satellite's electronics or fuel line.
Bruce Jakosky, principal investigator for MAVEN at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado told Space.com. "The dust risk appears to be significantly less than had originally been thought when the comet was first discovered."
Scientists can change the orbit of the satellites to position them away from any danger posed by Siding Spring. NASA is likely to alter the orbit of its Mars Odyssey orbiter to get it out of the potential danger zone.
As for Curiosity rover present on Martian surface, the researchers said that the atmosphere of the red planet will protect the rover.
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